Requiem of a Poisoned Knight
by Broadway Evanescence
Summary: Sonic and the Knights of the Round Table plot to stop Merlina once and for all. Sonic has difficulty differentiating Shadow from Lancelot, and the Knight of the Lake has a few problems with the new King Arthur. Takes place at the end of Sonic and the Black Knight. Sonadow
1. The Real King Arthur

**A/N: Hello! This is my new Black Knight fanfic. It's sonadow but it won't have smut. There are multiple medieval terms in here so if you have any questions I don't mind answering at all. Please review and enjoy!**

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 **The Real King Arthur**

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Merlina hated the blue hedgehog with a passion. Soon after her plans had been foiled and she held the withering flower as tears filled the brims of her eyes, that foolish hedgehog had the audacity to just smile, claiming that "all worlds will eventually have their end." Sonic held Excalibur in his hand, clamored in the silver gauntlet that Merlina had given to him. She craved revenge on the azure hedgehog, and the rest of the Knights as well. Her once magnificent blue eyes still held their rancorous yellow glow. Sonic remained still. His smile started to dissipate as he sensed some kind of spine-chilling presence.

"Merlina?" He asked with caution. A ghoulish puff of smoke appeared from Merlina's back side. The ground started to tremble and Sonic used Excalibur to create a shield. The grass and trees shook violently. Soon, Lancelot, Percival and Gawain ran to be by Sonic's side. They extracted their weapons and prepared for battle but the smoke was soon gone and so was Merlina. Sonic looked to the ground and lowered his sword, the other Knights followed suit. "Well that was weird." Sonic uttered."I would not say it was weird you fool. Merlina did not look at all pleased. She will be back, for all of you, and the kingdom." Excalibur stated. Shadow, or Lancelot in this alternate universe, crossed his arms and turned away. Knuckles also known as Gawain walked away from the group with disdain, rhaising his bronze visor to reveal his violet eyes.

"I can't believe that the king was nothing but an illusion." He murmured. Lancelot turned back around to face the group.

"The Knights of the round table must now disband." Sonic pushed aside his dark thoughts to speak.

"Why would you do that? Isn't it like I said before? Isn't there more to being a knight then just serving some King?" Lancelot growled.

"That _King_ was our leader. Without him, our kingdom has no future. Unlike you knave, I have promised to protect my kingdom at all costs." Sonic was ready to make a rebuttal when Excalibur started to shake, stopping him from speaking.

"Have you all learned nothing?! I am the one and only Excalibur! I have the power to choose the true king. The only person who could have saved me from that tomb of stone is the real King Arthur." Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, also known as Amy Rose on the planet Mobius, started to smile. The Knights gasped.

"So then..." Lancelot could not continue his thoughts.

"It can't be!" Gawain exclaimed. Percival raised her silver visor and smiled.

"You are the one and true King Arthur!" Sonic's eyes widened.

"Who... Me?!" The Knights of the Round Table bowed to their new king. Lancelot was hesitant but followed the others. As he did so, his ruby eyes met Sonic's emerald orbs. He was not appeased with the new Paladin. Sonic turned his attention back to the Knights. "Hey, cut that out!" He stated.

"As you wish Your Majesty." Gawain stood up from the ground. As soon as the Knights returned to their original positions, Sonic groaned and looked down.

"I never leave a fight without finishing what I started." Excalibur scoffed, earning a dark glare from Sonic. "But... I need to find a way to get back to my planet. I can't stay here forever." Nimue took Sonic's hand in hers.

"Unfortunately Your Majesty, the only person that can bring you back to your time is the one who cast the spell to bring you here."

"Merlina..." Sonic whispered. He knew for a fact that the Dark Queen who tried to kill him and make the kingdom eternal would never grant him any requests. He was out of luck and out of time.

"What shall we do Your Majesty?" Percival asked. Sonic gave his signature smile and raised his head high to the purple feline, making her blush.

"I guess we'll have to pay her a little visit. And would you all stop calling me 'your majesty'? I'm not a king!"

"You'll have to be the one to lead us! You are King Arthur." Gawain exclaimed. Sonic raised a hand in defeat.

"Alright fine. But just call me Sonic, got it?"

"Of course Sir Sonic." Percival replied.

"Hmph." Lancelot turned away once more. Sonic scratched his head with a questioning look. This guy was just like Shadow, annoying and cocky.

"I must return to where I belong Sir Sonic. If you ever need me, please do not hesitate to visit the lake." With those final words, Amy disappeared in a blue, sparkling mist.

The Knights made their way to the Kingdom of Camelot, followed by their confused King. He clearly could have shown them the way to the kingdom, if he remembered where it was. On the way, he encountered the Blacksmith's shop and quickly dashed inside. He returned to the Knights, followed by a young kitsune. Sonic could not forget his younger brother Tails. Although he is known as a poor blacksmith in Camelot, he is still Sonic's best friend. He also figured that his fellow Knights could use someone to sharpen and clean their weapons if need be. Lancelot crossed his arms and glared at Sonic in defiance.

"Who is this armiger? We do not need any assistance on our journey." Sonic walked toward him, emerald eyes gleaming with frustration.

"Look, he's a blacksmith who can help us all out. We need someone like him. So either do what I say, or leave if you don't like my rules." Lancelot raised his onyx visor and dared to face Sonic head on. The fury in his eyes was deadly, and no king could diminish it.

"He is nothing but a poor boy who can sharpen a sword. If you insist on making foolish decisions and risking more lives than our own then by all means, lead him to his death. I have no doubt that you will do the same to us all, _Your Majesty_." Lancelot continued to walk ahead of the group. Sonic snarled. Percival looked away in sorrow and waited for Sonic to continue walking. Gawain followed behind. Tails the blacksmith started to tremble with fear. He pulled Sonic's arm to gain his attention.

"Sir, are you sure this is not a mistake? If I will be a bother, then I would be more than happy to leave you all be." Sonic smirked and flicked the tip of his nose.

"Don't mind killjoy over there. He's never in a good mood." Lancelot pretended not to hear.

 _Incompetent fool. Our kingdom is doomed if his reign as King continues..._

The group made it to the kingdom. Sonic was shocked to see how gigantic the castle was. The ivory stones were covered in vines and purple flags that held an image of a black horse blew in the wind from the tops of towers. Sonic believed it to be the symbol of the Black Knight. He made a mental note to change them.

As they entered the castle, Sonic and the others were greeted by two Knights whom strongly resembled Silver the Hedgehog and Jet the Hawk.

"Jet? Silver? What are you two doing here?" Both Knights stared at him in bewilderment.

"Who is this Jet that you speak of? I am Sir Lamorak, a fellow knight of the round table." Jet replied.

"And I am Sir Galahad," said Silver, "it is a great honor to meet you King Arthur. All of the land has heard of your great victory against the Dark Queen and we are indebted to you for life." Sonic just rolled his eyes. Thiis was all very confusing. It would take him years to remember all of these names. As they entered the castle, Sonic was shown to his throne room. It was a long, grim hall that contained a red carpet trimmed with gold thread that lead to a gold throne. Sonic was in awe but then scrunched his nose.

"This place needs a new look. It's way too drab for my taste." Gawain groaned and retreated to his private quarters. Percival whispered into Lancelot's ear and then thanked Sonic once more. She left with Silver, or Sir Galahad. Lamorak left to show Tails his new room due to Sonic's command. Tails could not contain his joy and jumped in excitement. Lancelot remained with his arms crossed as usual. Sonic sat on his throne and watched Lancelot with intent. He looked as if he wanted to get something off of his chest, but if that was the case, he suppressed the urge and walked away. Sonic pondered for a moment what Lancelot might have wanted but soon let it go.

Sonic was alone for about fifteen seconds before deciding that he wanted to go for a run. Dinner would be made soon so he had no time to waste. Sonic ventured into the woods for a while and then came back to the castle in less than a minute. He ran through the halls, startling the villagers that served as housekeepers for the castle. He skidded to a stop when he heard loud clanking noises coming from a dimly lighted room below the castle. He peeked into the door frame to see Lancelot, sharpening the dull edges of his sword Arondight.

"Do you need anything Sir Sonic?" He asked unnervingly. Sonic chuckled.

"Nah. I'm really hungry though."

"I was informed that dinner will soon be ready. The dining room is above us." There was a trace of irritation of in his voice, as usual.

"Great. Thanks Shadow." Lancelot stopped tending to his sword.

"Who is this Shadow that you speak so fondly of?" Sonic laughed.

"Fondly? I wouldn't say that."

"This is not the first time you have referred to me as 'Shadow' Your Majesty. During our duel I heard you call me by this name." Sonic looked away, remembering the tragedy that happened aboard the ARK a few years ago. Shadow was back and working with GUN now but it was still strange to be with his medieval doppelgänger.

"It's nothing, you just remind me of someone I know." Lancelot approached Sonic.

"No one can be compared to me Sir. I am the ultimate Knight and the only companion to King Arthur. I am the leader of the Knights of the Round Table."

"Yep, you sound like him too."

Lancelot ignored him and continued speaking. "I will obliterate anyone who goes against my king."

"Do you mean me? Or the old king that wasn't even a real person?" Lancelot was silent. He turned away.

"I hope you did not take offense to my remarks during our duel Sir Sonic." The apology came out sarcastically. Sonic placed his hands on his hips and smiled.

"What remarks Sir Lance?" Lancelot winced at the nickname.

"I had referred to you as a 'court jester'. Do you not recall?"

"Nope. I guess it was just too short of a battle to remember." Sonic stated as he walked away, feeling quite proud with his clever retort. Sonic could basically hear the steam come from Shadow's ears like the whistle of a tea kettle. He grabbed Sonic and forced him to turn back around. Lancelot held Arondight in his hands and pointed towards Sonic's beige chest.

"Do you mock me oh Knight of the Wind?" Lancelot asked, rage radiating from every fiber of his being. Sonic leaned toward the ebony hedgehog.

"Of course not, _faker_." And with that, Sonic sped off.

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 **A/N: ooohhhh the romance is real. thank you for reading and please review! Thank you!**


	2. Journey On

**A/N: hi all! I'm so happy to thank White Terra and Shadowasexybeast for the favorite and the follows! That is so awesome of you. On with the story!**

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 **Journey On**

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The night was quiet and peaceful. For a hero that the world depended on, Sonic was extremely calm. He slept for what seemed like forever. Lancelot usually slept fine as well, but he rarely got the chance to sleep when the Black Knight reigned as King.

The unmerciful brute would test Lancelot and give him the most impossible tasks during the night, just to see if his given title as the "Ultimate Knight" was accurate. If the other Knights were ever aware of these missions, they would probably not approve, claiming the king showed favoritism, especially Gawain. Lancelot did not really mind though. Whenever he got the opportunity to prove himself, he did just that.

It was Lancelot who helped the King retrieve the Scabbard from Nimue. It was Lancelot who was the first to try to defeat Sonic in battle. It was he who kept the other Knights in line when a task needed to be done. When Gawain and Percival doubted the King, it was him that made them take back their words and finish what they started.

Lancelot felt no compassion for Sir Sonic. He was a plundering, steadfast imbecile who could not control a kingdom if the instructions were written on the inside of his eye lids. Those same eye lids that hid those jade eyes of his. Those vile jade eyes. The only reason Lancelot is even listening to the blue hedgehog is because by mere luck, he somehow defeated him in battle. If he had impaled Sonic like he promised, it would be a completely different story. He might even be king since he was second in command to the Black Knight. But alas, he was defeated and he must adhere to the Knights' code of conduct. Lancelot did find it a little strange that the two hedgehogs were almost identical besides their drastic difference of color. And who was this Shadow that he kept mentioning?

 _Does he look like me? Is he the same person as I? What if we are exactly the same, existing in two different times and places?_

Lancelot's helm was inside of his chambers, but he still wore his onyx pauldron, gauntlets and poleyn. Arondight was by his side. His sword was one of his most cherished possessions. Besides Excalibur, it is the strongest of any of the sacred swords, and the darkest. He did not feel complete without it with him at all times.

Although Lancelot understood Merlina's treacherous plot, he could not grasp the concept of conjuring up a fake king. How could she fool the Knights of the Round Table for all of those years? What was her purpose? To think, Lancelot had wasted his potential for someone or rather, something that did not even exist. The thought made his own blood boil. He swore to himself that when he finally found Merlina, he will have the pleasure of slitting her throat himself, but only if King Arthur allowed it. Who was he trying to fool? He would definitely be the one to spill her blood, whether the azure hedgehog liked it or not.

Soon, the sun began to shine over the horizon, illuminating shades of violets and pinks in the sky. It was time for the Knights to awaken. Everyone retreated to the dining hall for breakfast. Across the elegant table were horn dishes that contained a variety of different meats and cheeses along with biscuits and jams. Sonic was a little disappointed that there were no chili dogs and when he asked the servants if they could make some, they had never looked more confused. Gawain ate quickly, Percival ate a few bites of meat but it was clear that food was not really on her mind. Tails scarfed his food down like he had never eaten anything in his life. All of a sudden, Sir Galahad came down the hall and bowed to Sonic.

"Good morning Your Majesty. What will your plans be for the day?" He asked. Before Sonic was able to ask him to stand up and call him by his first name, Gawain spoke up.

"Today we will go to Merlina's fortress and stop her once and for all." Sir Galahad nodded with understanding.

"Excellent. Where is she?" He asked. Sonic stopped drinking his cider and chuckled in embarrassment. Gawain's mouth was slightly agape. The room was silent.

"I beg your pardon?" Gawain asked. Galahad cleared his throat and asked again.

"Merlina, the Dark Queen, where is her fortress?"

"Gee, I never thought about that." Sonic answered. Percival stood up from her seat.

"Sir Sonic, how will we find her? She could be anywhere. Camelot stretches for thousands of miles in all directions." Lancelot had been silent the entire time. He had not touched his breakfast, nor had he slept the night before. He could not stop thinking about their incompetent new King but he had to admit, even he had not thought about where Merlina could be hiding. He raised his visor.

"Merlina is not foolish. She would not stay here in Camelot. She must be in hiding near the outskirts of the kingdom, however she is far too powerful to kill with just our weapons. We need a different way to weaken her." Sonic leaned back in his chair with a fervid look in his eyes.

"No one said anything about killing her. There's got to be another way to trap her or something." He said. Lancelot left the dining room but soon returned with a large chest. He opened it to reveal six relics that each held a unique color and glow. The Knights surrounded the chest, peering into it with wonder.

"These are the relics of the kingdom. They are the most powerful jewels in all of Camelot. Before the King was exposed as an illusion, each of the Knights of the Round Table were tasked with finding each relic. If we can capture Merlina and bombard her with these as our power supply, we can stop her for good." The relics were in the shapes of small round charms, embedded with intricate patterns. Sonic knew what these relics represented. They were equivalent to the chaos emeralds on Mobius and the secret rings in the book of the Arabian Nights, but after taking the time to count them, he found that there were only six.

"Um... I don't mean to interrupt your awesome speech and all, but where is the seventh one?" The Knights all gave Sonic an odd look.

"How did you know there were seven in all Sir Sonic?" Percival asked. Sonic smirked.

"Lucky guess." Tails stopped eating to include himself in the conversation.

"Each relic is a representation of a part of the world. We have all of the major relics like the Ocean relic, the Flame relic, and Nature relic, but we need the white relic that represents Spirit to really stop Merlina." Sonic grabbed Excalibur.

"Okay then! What are waiting for? Let's get this last relic so we can save the kingdom!" Excalibur choked on the air from the force of Sonic's hand, causing Tails to giggle. No one shared Sonic's enthusiasm. Lancelot closed the chest.

"I'm afraid that it is not that simple." He said.

"Why is that?" Sonic asked.

"Merlina has the white relic." Percival answered.

"And there is not a doubt in my mind that she would kill us before giving it away." Gawain added. Sonic groaned. This situation was not getting easier. "Unless we can steal the relic away from her and then use all seven, the kingdom is in ruins." Sonic refused to just give up that easily. He would not even speak defeat into existence. He swallowed the rest of his breakfast and gulped down the rest of his cider.

"Then that's just what we're gonna have to do. Steal it back." Lancelot nodded in agreement. Sonic smiled back, glad that they were finally seeing eye to eye, at least for the time being. Each knight prepared for the long journey that was ahead of them. While the other Knights gathered food, medical supplies, and put on their individual armor, Sonic leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a few minutes. Lancelot eyed Sonic with a snarl.

"You must be even more harebrained than I thought if you believe that you can battle without any armor." He stated. Sonic opened one eye but before he could reply with something witty, Excalibur chimed in.

"Young Knight, Sir Lancelot is correct. Without the proper armor, you will easily be defeated." Sonic shrugged his shoulders. Lancelot motioned for Sonic to follow him. He lead Sonic to a humongous chamber, filled with weapons and ancient artifacts from battles with other Knights. Lancelot opened a wooden cabinet to reveal a sapphire colored suit that was similar in design to his own. The armor gleamed and it held a polished look like it had never been worn before. Medieval patterns and designs in various hues of blue lined the outsides of the rerebrace and couters. Sonic smiled.

"This is tight!" He exclaimed while pulling the armor from its position in the cabinet. Lancelot closed the cabinet.

"Now you will appear to be somewhat of a real knight." Lancelot eyed the gauntlet that Merlina had given to Sonic. He grabbed his hand and removed it. Soon after ignoring Sonic's protest to give it back, he broke the gauntlet in two and threw it to the ground.

"What was that for?" Sonic asked.

"Merlina's dark magic is tied to anything she creates. It is not safe to keep anything she gave you. Besides, your armor comes with identical gauntlets that are much more appropriate. I don't know how you survived with such amateur weapons."

"I beg your pardon!" Excalibur shouted earning a laugh from Sonic.

"Calm down dude! I don't think he meant you."

"Well, if that's what you think." Lancelot said while smirking. Sonic looked down at his feet and then back at Lancelot.

"How'd you find this?"

"The Black Knight created it for me as a reward. I believe it is more suitable for you than it is for me."

"Why haven't you worn it?" Sonic asked with an adorable child like expression.

"I do not accept charity, nor do I accept pity. It was simply a ploy to make me feel better about a loss."

"What did you lose?" Lancelot was silent and crossed his arms. Sonic held his hands up and smiled sadly. "If you'd prefer not to tell me, I totally get it." Lancelot nodded.

"But still, why'd you bring me here anyway? I thought you didn't even care what happens to me." Lancelot closed his eyes and then opened them once more, revealing a formidable spark in his ruby colored eyes.

"Although you are not the first king that I have served, you are the king nonetheless, _my_ king. Without you alive, we will all perish." Sonic shivered at the way Lancelot claimed him this way. It was kinda eerie. Lancelot kept his usual scowl. "But do not think that I am siding with you to become your ally. I am solely trying to protect the kingdom and nothing more. I can not wait for you to return your wretched planet, so do not confuse my kindness for weakness, Knight of the Wind."

"That's fair enough." Sonic held the armor awkwardly. Lancelot frowned.

"What are you waiting for? Put on your armor, we do not have all day." Sonic smiled sheepishly. He made a feeble attempt to put on the helm but it tilted to the side and he had no idea how to attach the breast plate or the greaves. He resembled a small child who got their hands on their parents clothing. Lancelot growled in frustration and came behind Sonic.

He took the Breastplate and rerebrace and attached them together, tightening the armor around Sonic's torso. He locked the greaves and then took Sonic's hand in his own, placing the new blue gauntlets on without any difficulty. Sonic's cheeks had turned a slight shade of pink after Lancelot was done.

"I could've put on the gauntlets myself ya know." He muttered with a smile. Lancelot sighed and rolled his eyes. Without warning, a large thundering crash was heard from above. The two hedgehogs sped up the stairs of the castle to investigate the sound. When they reached the top of the stairs, they were surprised to find Tails shaking from underneath the dining table, holding the chest of relics close to his side. Sonic rushed to pull Tails from beneath the table.

"What's wrong?! Where did everybody go?!" Tails pointed to the door. Outside was a ginormous black dragon terrorizing the village outside of the castle walls.


	3. Black Beast

**A/N: OMG I've already gotten a few reviews from .7 and a guest. And for those who followed and favorited (Pinkle15 & Noodleyyfan) thank you all so much. I can't wait to continue on with the story. Please don't forget to review! Also, here's a key:**

 **King Arthur: Sonic**

 **Blacksmith: Tails**

 **Gawain: Knuckles**

 **Percival: Blaze**

 **Lancelot: Shadow**

 **Galahad: Silver**

 **Lamorak: Jet**

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 **Black Beast**

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Before Sonic could utter a word, Lancelot raced past him and unleashed Arondight from its holster.

"Hey, wait up!" Sonic turned to Tails and rested his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Stay here with the chest and don't move. Promise?" Tails nodded and tightened his grip on the chest even more, earning a wink from Sonic. The Knight of the Wind was nothing but a blue streak as he unsheathed Excalibur.

"Do not let your new armor take your guard down Sir Sonic. You must always be alert." Excalibur said. Sonic rolled his eyes and ran to meet Lancelot. The other Knights were already battling the beast with little to no success. The dragon was enormous, with oily black scales, indigo spikes and olive green eyes. Instead of breathing fire, it expelled some kind of black venom that burned whatever it touched. With a strong battle cry, Sonic and Lancelot ran up the dragon's tail and started to plunge their swords into its body.

The dragon screeched, shaking its tail violently to rid itself of the Knights. Lancelot sped forward once more, red beams of electricity laminated around his black form.

"Chaos Spear!" He cried, throwing the red sparks into the dragon's skull. In a flash of light, the dragon started to dissolve into black ooze, as if it knew it was too weak, and surrendered. Sonic and Lancelot jumped away from its back and watched as it disappeared before their very eyes. All that was left was the slime.

Percival groaned in disgust. Galahad and Lamorak raised their visors, as did the others. Sonic could hear muffled screams coming from Excalibur. The black blood from the monster covered Excalibur's eyes and mouth.

"Ew... Gross." Sonic wiped the slime away with a chuckle.

"Knave! Clean me off at once! Is this how you take care of your weaponry?!"

"I thought I was a king, not a knave! We've been over this." Lancelot stared off into the distance. Sonic approached him, ignoring Excalibur for the moment.

"Is somethin' wrong?" Lancelot turned to face Sonic and then turned back to where he was staring, which was at nothing in particular.

"That attack was from Merlina. I recognize her magic." He said. Sonic turned his attention to the other Knights.

"Is everyone alright?" The majority nodded in acknowledgment, except Lamorak.

"What was the purpose of an attack like that? Why did she not just come to attack here herself?"

"Or send something stronger?" Percival added.

"She wanted to send a message." Lancelot interrupted. He came to the center of the group. "If we want to find her, then we need to do it now before it is too late. She is getting stronger by the minute and I know that she is planning something."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sonic stated as he placed Excalibur into his holster. Galahad took a step forward.

"Who will protect the kingdom Sir Sonic? We cannot leave everything behind. Merlina can still attack with us gone." Percival grabbed Galahad's hand.

"We are all stronger together. Merlina already tried to destroy the castle and it did not work. Her goal is to kill us, not the kingdom. The more there are of us, then the more powerful we become." Sonic placed his finger on his chin and looked to the sky.

"Why not build a barrier around the kingdom like we did before?" Gawain suggested.

"We will need all four swords to do that and if we want to survive, we _need_ our swords." Lamorak replied.

"Not unless we can ask Nimue. She must know of a spell that is strong enough to create a force field around the castle, protecting the people from harm." Sonic smirked at Gawain's idea.

"You all stay here. I will find Amy- _I mean_... Nimue, and ask her for help."

"Someone should come with you Sir Sonic, in case Merlina tries to attack again." said Galahad. Lamorak nodded.

"You are vulnerable if you are alone." Lancelot unsheathed Arondight.

"I will go." Sonic looked to Lancelot to see if he was being serious about coming along, but he showed no sign of expression, his onyx visor was closed. Sonic nodded.

"We'll be back soon."

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 _Shadow's eyes were burning with anger. "Don't talk to me about fair! Not after what happened here!" His gaze turned soft as he looked out of the window of the space colony, staring at the stars. They had not changed since him and Maria would look out at them._

 _He pictured a beautiful young girl, with piercing ocean colored eyes and bright blonde hair._

 _"Maria was my only friend, but your human soldiers took her away from me! All she wanted to do was visit your planet... but poor Maria never even got the chance." Sonic looked away with sad eyes. Shadow's guard was down completely and he had never felt this way for the creature. He actually witnessed his only friend get murdered, and he could do nothing to stop it. Amy was behind Sonic, tears streamed down her face. She forced herself to take a step forward._

 _"Shadow... if what you say about Maria is true, then this is not what she wants. You can't blame the people of earth for something that happened fifty years ago. If Maria was still alive today, she would want you to be friends with them, to protect them. They need you Shadow, you're the only one that can help us stop the Ark from killing all those people. You have to give them a chance to be happy like Maria wanted for you." Shadow caught his breath, remembering what Maria had told him, as she laid there covered in her own blood and tears._

 _"Please Shadow, give them a chance to live their dreams." Sonic said as he walked toward Shadow, their eyes never leaving each other. A tear slipped from Shadow's eye and down his cheek._

 _"You're right... Maria did want me to protect those people. I must keep my promise, to her, and to you."_

"Sir Sonic?" Lancelot called out. Sonic shook away his thoughts and looked in his direction. "Have you not heard a word of what I said?" Sonic blushed sheepishly.

"No. Sorry I was... just thinking."

"Hmph." They walked in silence for a while. The sounds of their armor clinking together filled the moist air.

"What did you say?" Sonic asked.

"I said that Nimue's lake is far North of the castle. It will take us a while to get there at this pace."

"Well then let's speed things up a bit." Sonic zoomed past Lancelot, making the leaves shake. Lancelot growled, but then smirked at the insinuated challenge. Sonic ran fast of course, but slowed down a bit so that Lancelot could catch up. They ran side by side until Lancelot could see Nimue's glowing canopy. He increased his speed and made it to the "finish line" first.

"Hey, no fair!" Sonic said in between laughs. "You cheated."

"No Your Majesty, I am afraid that you are just too slow." Lancelot grinned. Sonic smiled once he realized that Lancelot was genuinely smiling. Smiling at him.

"Whatever you say faker."

"Faker? I am no fake. I am not anything but the _real_ thing my liege." Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder clad in black armor.

"Woah, chill, it's just a joke."

"A joke?"

"Yeah. I'm just messing with you." Sonic laughed. He had to remember that in medieval times, the people spoke differently than they do in his own time. His common slang wouldn't cut it here. It would take some time to get used to.

"I see. Well, maybe you should take things more seriously. We do have a kingdom in jeopardy." Sonic removed his hand from Lancelot's shoulder, after noticing that it lingered for a little longer than intended.

"I see that you have come sooner than I expected, King Arthur." Both Knights turned their attention to the Lady of the Lake. "And you Sir Lancelot, it is a pleasure to see you here as well." Lancelot crossed one of his arms over his chest and bowed his head.

"The pleasure is all mine, fair Lady of the Lake."

"Okay, can we cut the romance? We have a kingdom to save!" Lancelot raised his visor and glared daggers at Sonic. Before Sonic could explain why they were there, Nimue raised a finger to silence him.

"I believe I know why you two are here. Please, follow me." She led them through the door of her glowing, iridescent canopy and motioned for them to sit down. Lancelot preferred to stay standing. "It is wise for all of the Knights to venture out to find Merlina together, however, you need something to protect the kingdom on your journey."

"Yep, that pretty much covers it." Nimue faced the palms of her hands together and opened them. A sparking blue light appeared, in it was a single charm with three chains. The charm was a circle that was split into to three parts. One side was green, one red, and the other was blue. After splitting the necklace in three, Nimue gave Lancelot the green side, and Sonic the red side. She held the blue side in between them.

"These charms will protect you both, and the kingdom. Place the blue charm around the Scabbard, and place it into the stone beneath castle. Wear these charms your necks. Together, they will make a force field that Merlina can not penetrate." Both hedgehogs nodded and made their way out.

"Thank you Nimue. We are extremely grateful." Lancelot said.

"Wait." Sonic and Lancelot turned back around.

"If one of you is to... lose your life in battle, the charm will break and the force field will diminish." Her words sent chills down both of their spines.

"Understood." Sonic and Lancelot started to return back to Camelot.

"So if one of us dies, then the kingdom is lost?" Sonic asked just to clarify.

"It seems that way."

"Talk about tough luck." An awkward silence passed between them.

"Race ya back to the castle?" Sonic ran forward to gain a head start. Lancelot, even angrier than before, ran to catch up.

This time, Sonic had won the race. "Who's the slow poke this time?"

"Hmph."

"King Arthur! Come quick!" Sonic's eyes widened. Both Sonic and Lancelot ran through the castle to find the Knights huddling around Tails. The throne room looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Curtains were torn and the throne itself had deep scratches upon its surface.

"What happened here?!" Lancelot pushed Gawain aside with such force that he almost fell over. Gawain growled in anger.

"Do you not see?! It was all Merlina's doing!" Tails was rubbing a dark, bloody bruise upon his head.

"What do you mean it was 'Merlina's doing?'"

"Her henchmen came through the doors and rummaged through everything to find the relics. We had to fight them off." Percival said while tending to the Blacksmith's wounds.

"Where are the relics?" Lancelot asked. The room was silent. "Do not tell me that she took them or I swear..."

"It was not our fault Sir Lancelot! Her henchmen were stronger than ever before! And there were at least fifty of them!" Galahad protested with fear of making Lancelot angry. Sonic stepped forward.

"Did they take the whole chest?" Lamorak reached behind his back.

"Not exactly." He pulled out the yellow relic that represented Light. Lancelot slammed his hand on the table. Sonic looked down with a sigh.

They had one relic left.


	4. Stars

**A/N: wow... Already 14 reviews on 3 chapters. Thank you guys! Thank you to Latias Evee, C. Rinkuki Takato for the favorite and .7 for the reviews! Very nice of you. Please review! :)**

* * *

 **Stars**

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"Oh how the tables have turned. Now Merlina has six relics, and we only have one." Gawain spoke with aggravation laced into his tone. He scanned the ground as if to find one of the relics just lying around. The Blacksmith was hugging his knees close to his chest. He fought the tears that stung his eyes. He was so disappointed with himself. How could he have let his noble king down? He feared banishment, or even worse, exile.

"Your Majesty... I am so sorry... I really tried to stop them from taking the chest but I could not... I failed you." The tears started to flow freely from his crystal blue eyes, cascading over the stale dirt that littered his ivory muzzle. Small sobs forced themselves from his throat. Sonic smiled with a short, sad laugh. He lowered himself on one knee to see eye to eye with the Blacksmith.

"Look... It's okay. I know you tried your hardest. I wouldn't have given them to you if I couldn't trust you, and you haven't lost my trust. It was my fault too. You didn't see it coming... none of us did." Sonic rested a reassuring hand on the Blacksmith's shoulder. Sonic inwardly scolded himself for being so foolish. He should have taken the relics with him and Lancelot on their visit to Nimue, or hid them some place safe.

"I will not be punished for my crime?" Sonic was taken aback. How could he punish someone for his own misdeed?

"Of course not! Why would I do that? It was a mistake. We'll get them back." The young kit wiped the tears from his face and nodded. Lancelot eyed the scene with disdain. This was just pitiful. They had no chance of beating Merlina now. He knew that if he had heard the earlier exchange between the kit and the King, he would have hid the relics first before defeating the dragon. Lancelot's eyes widened.

Merlina was using that beast to distract them.

Besides this of course, there was a significant, faint feeling that welled inside of Lancelot's chest. Why was their new king so compassionate? A true king must rule with an iron fist, show no mercy, kill who he must in order to restore balance. Yet, King Arthur was stooping to the level of a peasant and praising him with words of kindness and forgiveness.

Lancelot could not help but to have a sort of hatred for the way the Blacksmith was being treated. Possibly envy, but a Knight is never envious. He is to _be_ envied. It was normal for Lancelot himself to receive praise by the king, he was second in command after all... unless something was different.

Their system of monarchy had undergone a drastic change. Had King Arthur stripped him of his title? Was he not the Ultimate Knight anymore?

"We must prepare King Arthur. We have very little time." Lamorak protested. Galahad raised a hand.

"We have nothing to defend ourselves Your Majesty, once we arrive to face the Dark Queen she will eliminate us."

"Okay first off, enough with the King stuff. Just call me Sonic, and second, we at least have to try. These relics are related to each other right? Can they maybe... sense each other?" Percival nodded.

"In some way, yes. They glow when near another one of its kind." Sonic smirked. If these things were equivalent to a chaos emerald, then they must do the same thing right?

"Then that's all we got to lead us now. Let's get our stuff together. We'll leave as soon as everyone is ready to go."

"But Sir Sonic-"

"Do as the King says." Lancelot bellowed. Silence filled the throne room. Sonic did not expect the urgent order from Lancelot, but he decided not to dwell on it too much. They had no time to waste.

"Let's go."

* * *

Lancelot was the first to be ready. He attached two holsters to his armor. In one holster was Arondight, and the other contained Ddraig Goch, a red sword bearing the name of a dragon. Sonic was undoubtedly the last to be ready. Excalibur kept adding to the list of items he needed to survive, so it took him quite a while.

The Blacksmith carried a wooden cart filled with sharpening tools, rods, hammers and a few trivial things. Gawain carried a sack that contained most of the food that remained from the kitchen. Galahad, whose powers were almost exactly the same as Silver, used his telekinesis to levitate a few sacks filled with medical supplies, in case someone were to be injured. Sonic insisted on carrying something but to his dismay, the Knights refused to let him carry a single thing.

With Sonic the Hedgehog leading the way, the Knights of the Round Table ventured out of the kingdom to find Merlina. Collectively, their pace was quick. The Blacksmith was the only one who flew while traveling, rolling his wagon of tools behind him. Lancelot followed directly behind Sonic and the others traveled in a small clump. The only sounds that could be heard were that of the crisp grass as it crunched beneath their sabatons.

The silence was extremely uncomfortable, but in all honesty, what was there to discuss? The kingdom was in ruins and it would take an extreme miracle to save it. Sonic held the relic of Light in his armor-clad hand. The relic was as dull as can be. No one expected it to glow anytime soon.

Galahad was the first to speak. Him and Percival sparked a conversation between each other about the kingdom and how they had faith that it would be protected. No one else chimed in, but Sonic's thoughts were in the same place. He did have faith that together as a team, they could stop Merlina, and possibly save her.

She was lost, kind of like Shadow was. She believes in her heart that somehow, what she wants is right. She was brainwashed by her grandfather Merlin, like Shadow was by Black Doom. She is persistent, willing to hurt anyone dear to her to get what was promised to her, a moral of the one and only Shadow the Hedgehog.

* * *

 _"Finally, I have attained all seven chaos emeralds." The cynical, ebony hedgehog stood before Sonic with a treacherous ora._

 _"Shadow... why... why are you siding with those black creatures? They don't care about you... They're just using you..." Sonic felt like he was going to be sick. His entire body was in agony from the bruises he received from the sable monster. The once crimson glow from his eyes was replaced with a cold, venomous black._

 _"Siding with them? You must be joking. I would side with anyone who was against you." Those words hurt Sonic more than his own misery. He growled in anger and distress._

 _"I was created by Black Doom as the ultimate weapon. My destiny is to destroy all of these filthy imbeciles and create the Dark Empire. These repulsive humans will suffer a terrible fate. This is who I am!" Shadow emitted a maniacal laugh. It hurt Sonic to even look at the companion he once knew. His eyes burned from the grime and filth that collected on his body. He struggled to stand. He placed a trembling hand on his knee and stood up, his body threatening to fail him at any given second._

 _"Shadow... I know for a fact that you're there. You helped me save earth once before and you can help me do it again... Don't you remember anything about the ARK? Not even Maria?"_

 _"Don't you dare speak of things you don't know hedgehog." Shadow spoke vehemently._

 _"You promised her that you would save the world! You told me this yourself! After Black Doom wins he won't need you anymore! Shadow... you have to remember... We were your friends..." Shadow was silent. As of this moment in time, he had no friends._

 _The alien hybrid of a hedgehog started to hear voices, hundreds of them in his head. He could hear Black Doom's gravelly voice, he heard the foolish sapphire hedgehog, Eggman, and even Maria. He started to see images of faces that he could not place. The voices continued to grow and grow. Shadow placed his hands over his ears. Those damn voices would not leave him alone._

 _A new memory came to mind. He was floating in space. His lungs felt dry and burned as he was propelled downward. His eye lids felt like weights, failing to comply with him. A gold figure was levitating above his weak form. Its hand reached out to grab him._

 _"Shadow!" He screamed. This hedgehog's voice sounded so familiar. His eyes were the color of blood yet, the hedgehog before him had emerald eyes. Why were their voices the same...? The voices stopped. It felt like an obsessive burden had lifted from Shadow's chest. Black Doom had lost his control._

 _Shadow stared at the hedgehog before him. Memories started to flood back to him. When they first met, when they escaped from prison island, when they stopped the eclipse canon. He anticipated the azure creature's fall and ran to him before he passed out, holding him in his arms. His head lolled to the side, meeting Shadow's face, their cheeks touching._

 _"Sonic... I remember."_

* * *

The Knights had found their way into the forest and the sun was setting. Sonic's stomach started to growl. "Ah man, I'm starving."

"We should take a break for the night..." said Galahad.

"No. We need to keep moving." Lancelot muttered. Sonic yawned.

"No way. Even you look tired." Lancelot glared at Sonic.

"I am _not_ tired."

"We can not fight if we can barely keep our eyes open." mentioned Gawain.

"It's decided then. We'll get back on our feet in the morning but for now, let's rest."

Apart from the medical supplies that Galahad brought, there were also three wedge tents inside of the sacks. It was settled that Gawain, the Blacksmith, and Lamorak would share one tent, while Percival, Galahad and Lancelot would share the other. The Knights insisted that Sonic have his own tent but he refused. He offered to share a tent with Lancelot so that each person had as much space as possible.

Gawain and the young Blacksmith set up the tents while Lamorak and Galahad gathered a few logs to sit upon. Percival, having pyrokinetic abilities like her Mobian doppelgänger Blaze, started a fire. After unpacking the food, the Knights gathered around the warm fire and began to eat.

Lancelot gathered his own food and retreated back to his tent. While eating a piece of meat, Gawain motioned to Lancelot.

"What is his issue now? He is never willing to listen to reason, nor is he willing to join us for dinner? How insulting." Percival turned her attention to him.

"Leave him be Gawain. His mind is somewhere else at the moment."

"When is it not?" Lamorak stood up from his log.

"Gawain, you owe me a sparring match."

"You thought that I would forget about our wager Sir?" Gawain gave a grin that only Knuckles could replicate. Both Knights had finished their meals and traveled just outside of the "camp site" with weapons in hand.

"Don't travel too far!" Galahad shouted.

"Yeah, we don't want anyone _else_ disappearing on us." Sonic said in between chews. The Blacksmith stood from his seat and started to collect each of the Knight's weapons.

"May I have your sword Sir Sonic?" Sonic handed him Excalibur.

"Thank the heavens! I thought you would have forgotten about my sharpening!" said the talking weapon. Sonic scoffed.

"No one could forget that smart mouth of yours." Soon Laevatein, Galatine, and Excalibur were cleaned up nicely.

"Sir Sonic?" the Blacksmith called out.

"What's up bud?" The Blacksmith smiled a little. He was not used to this kind of treatment from royalty.

"I do not want to bother Sir Lancelot, would you mind asking him for Arondight?"

"Uh... Sure." Sonic stood up but stopped in his tracks. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course Your Maj- _I mean_... Sir Sonic."

"Do people only call you 'Blacksmith' or do you have a real name?" The titian kit pondered this question for a moment.

"I can not give a definite answer Sir. I have always been referred to as 'Blacksmith', so that is my name." Sonic frowned. He was not sure if his parents Rosemary and Amadeus existed in this world, but he needed a real name, and he was the closest thing he had to a parent.

"How about this, I'm gonna name you Miles Prower, but you can go by 'Tails'. How's that?" The fox smiled so hard, his cheeks turned pink.

"I like that name Sir. It is very fitting, thank you." Sonic smiled and nodded.

Sonic ventured into the tent with a loud yawn as he scratched his ear.

"Yo, Lancelot, where's that sword of yours? Tails wants to sharpen it or something." Lancelot was finishing his meal when Sonic walked inside.

"Tails?" Sonic flicked his nose.

"Yeah cool name huh?"

"Arondight does not lose its edge. There is no need to sharpen something that is not dull."

"Okay jeeze." Sonic spotted Ddraig Goch and pointed to it. "What about that red one?" Lancelot looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Fine." Sonic grabbed it and gave it to Tails, returning within a few seconds. Inside of the tent were two cots that were placed side by side. Sonic jumped one of them and stretched. Lancelot was still and quiet, eyeing him.

"You okay? You're never in a good mood are you?"

"I just want the Kingdom to return to the way it was, that is all."

"Don't sweat it. I made a promise that I intend to keep." Sonic laughed as he realized who he sounded like.

"What do you find so humorous Sir Sonic?"

"Nothing. Just know that I won't leave until everyone is safe." Lancelot found it hard to believe the sapphire hero. Sonic sat up and reached behind his back to take off his armor. He grabbed random chains and clips but he still had no idea on how to remove it. He succeeded in removing the footwear, but he could not reach behind his back. Lancelot sighed and walked toward him. He unlatched the plate and the helm and set them to the side.

"Thanks... again." Lancelot nodded.

"I have a question for you."

"Okay... shoot." Lancelot looked to the ground.

"Once we find Merlina, I would like the privilege of ending her life, once and for all." Sonic's eyes darkened.

"Killing her is not an option Lance." Lancelot scowled at the nickname.

"That is not my name."

"I know, but it clearly irritates you, so I'm gonna keep calling you that."

"How do you insist on saving a kingdom with that way of thinking?" Sonic shrugged.

"Look, I don't try to be anybody that I'm not. Even though I'm known as 'King Arthur' in this story, I'm still Sonic in my own story."

"A story? You believe that this is all just a story?" Lancelot rose from his seat on the cot. Sonic remained laying down.

"No, but in my world things are different."

"How are things different if the people are the same?" Sonic raised his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"You have made it clear that I exist in your world under the name 'Shadow', correct?"

"Well yes but-"

"So then are things really that different? Are you not looked at as a king in your dimension?"

"Maybe so but I don't like it." Sonic snapped. "I'm no king, just a guy with a need for speed. That's all I am. I like to help people as much as I can. Merlina may not be what we think she is. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been here to stop the Black Knight. You would still be serving some fake king." Lancelot was silent.

"You are a fool." He then whispered. Sonic looked away with a sigh.

"In my world, you're just like her." This caught Lancelot's attention.

"In what way?"

"Long story short, you weren't really the 'good guy' until we told you the truth about your past and how you were meant to help people, not hurt them. You saved millions of innocent people and then... we all thought you died. It hurt us all. We missed you... a lot. You became a good friend of mine." Lancelot took off his helm so that he could look at Sonic directly without any boundaries. This was the first time Sonic had seen his full face. His upturned quills were cleansed of all armor. His eyes even seemed redder than usual.

"I am sorry that I do not meet your expectations." Sonic smiled.

"You don't need to, but I want you to know that I'm on your side. I know that Merlina's intentions are good in her eyes, but she's going about it the wrong way." Lancelot put his helm down by his side.

"Am I dead in your time?" Sonic's eyes widened. He forgot to clarify a major detail.

"No, we just thought you were. You somehow survived and forgot everything, and then you met this alien guy who tried to control you but now you're an agent at this place called GUN and you carry actual guns and stuff." Lancelot's face was blank.

"I'm sorry, I didn't follow you." Sonic dismissed it with the wave of his hand and a laugh.

"It's not important. Do you even know what a gun is? Never mind, just know that you're a good guy." A green light started to appear from Lancelot's chest. He pulled out the charm that Nimue had given to him. Sonic turned around to see a red light shining from beneath his armor. He copied Lancelot's movement and looked at the charm. "Why's it glowing like that?"

"I'm not sure." Lancelot walked toward Sonic and put the two charms together. The lights grew brighter and brighter until both Knights had to shield their eyes. The glowing suddenly ceased.

"What the heck was that all about?" Lancelot did not respond. He continued to gaze at the charms, not realizing that his and Sonic's hands were touching. Both hedgehogs were so close that Sonic could feel Lancelot's heat radiating through his armor. His breathing was steady. Lancelot hadn't realized their proximity until he looked up, causing them both to jump away slightly. Sonic turned his attention to the sky. Lancelot followed suit.

The stars were sparkling and gleaming upon the pitch black surface. "Woah..." A shooting star passed by before their eyes. "It's kinda late. I'm gonna turn in."

"Alright. Goodnight." Lancelot replied awkwardly.

"G'night." Sonic turned his back to the brooding knight and closed his eyes. Lancelot focused his eyes back on the gorgeous sky.

 _What was he staring at?_


	5. Town Fair

**A/N: thank you to all who favorited and followed (Smokestep, and Elfo8729)! Thank you Haalyle for your awesome review! Made my day. :) be WARNING: this chapter is a little gruesome and contains mentions of blood and murder. Enjoy and please REVIEW! They make my life! I love constructive criticism and ideas!**

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 **Town Fair**

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Sonic was not expecting for any of this to happen. When Merlina summoned the legendary hedgehog from the sky, he could recall saying "Oh, I get it. I'm used to stuff like this!"

That is not exactly the case.

He was a king now, traveling with five other "knights" and a blacksmith, searching for a royal wizard in order to save thousands of people. Gawain, the Knight of the Sun, Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake, Lamorak, Knight of the Sky, Galahad, the Knight of Storms and Percival, the Knight of the Grail. Sonic of course was known as the Knight of the Wind, or a King of the Wind? These titles were quite contradictory.

Maybe he _was_ used to this kind of stuff.

The birds of Camelot sang loudly upon the thick oak trees. The sun was just beginning to rise as Lancelot was awakening from his slumber. He started to dress himself in his armor when he laid his eyes on Sonic. The blue hero was sleeping peacefully with one hand across his torso. His breathing was steady and quiet. Lancelot turned away with a scowl, a faint shade of pink finding its way to his tan muzzle. Why was he staring at him? It was quite perplexing that someone could sleep for such a long period of time. Usually a knight would wake up before sunrise. Maybe that's why he was staring, it was an unusual sight.

Lancelot contemplated waking the hedgehog up, but some secret entity must have heard his thoughts since said creature started to toss and turn.

Sonic opened his eyes, revealing his sparkling jade orbs. He rubbed his face and yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Morning." He said. Lancelot nodded, acknowledging the greeting.

"We must pack and continue moving."

"Already down to business I see."

"A knight must always be ready at a moments notice." Sonic groaned.

"Enough with this knight stuff already! Don't you ever have fun? Take a break? Relax for a while?" Lancelot stayed quiet.

"My position does not require me to have 'fun'." Sonic removed his cover and stood up.

"Well ya know what? As your king, I order you to do something that has nothing to do with being a knight." Lancelot frowned and crossed his arms.

"That is preposterous. I am a knight, and I-"

"Blah blah blah, I get it okay? You're a knight and you have tons of work to do. Just... trust me on this one."

"I beg your pardon! You are not going to leave me here all alone are you?!" Excalibur shouted. Sonic placed him upright against the wall of the tent.

"We'll be back, and if the others wake up, then tell them we went for a... walk or something." Sonic grabbed Lancelot's wrist and led him out of the tent. The sky was a pale shade of violet.

"Where are we going Sir Sonic?" Lancelot asked.

"On our way to the forest we passed through this field. There was some kind of fair going on. I wanna check it out." Lancelot growled.

"Sir Sonic, we do not have time for games."

"We'll be quick. Unless you can't keep up..." Sonic faced Lancelot with a dangerous look in his eyes, issuing a challenge. Lancelot looked away, tempted to take the offer.

"I must retrieve my armor from the tent."

"You don't need it! We're going to be walking around, not fighting dragons. The others are still sleeping. We can make it back before they wake up if we hurry." Lancelot felt for the side of his leg to see if Arondight was there, but it was not. He was compelled to run and grab it but something stopped him. Sonic had not let go of his wrist and he started to pick up his pace, dragging Lancelot along with him. He soon let go of the knight and began to run swiftly through the forest. Lancelot replicated Sonic and as he did so, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Before he knew it, Sonic had stopped. They had arrived at an open field with a variety of beautiful flowers. The castle could still be seen, but it was almost a blur because of its far distance away. Sonic placed the side of his hand over his forehead. He squinted, looking for the pavilions he had seen from before. "Found em!" Sonic pointed to a small section of the clearing, near the cobblestone wall that separated the forest from the town of Camelot. He motioned for Lancelot to follow and they both ran toward the collection of tents.

Delicious smells of mutton and baked goods lingered through the air, enticing the two hedgehogs. Some kind of fair was happening and Sonic wanted to be apart of the action. He grabbed Lancelot's wrist once more and pulled him into the center of the tents. "Look at all this stuff!" Each pavilion had its own unique setting of items. One tent sold dresses, another sold holsters and accessories for weaponry, another sold a variety of delicacies.

"I'm hungry. Let's grab something to eat." The two hedgehogs came to the front stand of the red pavilion to buy some food. The person tending to customers almost fell backward from excitement.

"Good heavens! You are King Arthur!" He exclaimed. Sonic smiled sheepishly and looked away, rubbing his quills down. Lancelot gave him a puzzled expression. He should flaunt his title as king. Was he not proud of it?

"Uh... yeah, can I get two of those please?" Sonic pointed to two small cases of meat with bread. He felt around to see if he had any money, forgetting that he had no pockets. "Aw man... Lance, do you have any money to pay?" Before he could answer, their server placed a whole tray of food on the table and gave it to Sonic.

"For you Your Majesty, I would be happy to give you anything you like! It is an honor to serve you." Sonic smiled brightly and licked his lips from the aroma.

"Thanks!" The two hedgehogs hadn't realized that the man's booming voice attracted other shop keepers. They all cooed in excitement. Left and right, the two were bombarded with people trying to give them free items. Both of them had to carry so much, they barely ate the food that they were given. Lancelot dragged Sonic away from the fair quickly before they were asked to take anything else.

Sonic was laughing the whole walk back. "Can you believe that?! I don't really like being treated better than anyone else, but look at all this food! I could live like this for a little while..." Lancelot rolled his eyes. That hedgehog could eat the whole kingdom out of house and home.

Lancelot was stuck carrying a few of the accessories that a swordsman was selling. A few of the items he was holding were very attractive, but he had to remember that they were for the King, not him. Once they had passed a few trees, Sonic spotted a sparkling lake and a large log. "Let's sit down for a minute. I never got a chance to eat anything." Lancelot had to fight a small voice in the back of his head telling him to go back the others, but he silenced it for the time being.

Both hedgehogs sat down upon the log and looked out at the gleaming lake. Sonic grabbed a sweet roll of some kind and handed Lancelot a desert identical to it. "Try this. It looks really good." Lancelot would have raised his visor to eat, if he was wearing one. He was not used to being without his armor in the open. He took a bite of the bread and closed his eyes, the exquisite sweetness overwhelming his taste buds. "It's good isn't it?" Sonic looked over to Lancelot with a smile. He nodded and swallowed.

"It is." Sonic placed the bread between his teeth so he could hold it while he rummaged through his collection of things. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth in awe, letting the bread fall into his lap.

On the firm ground were two crystal, black gauntlets that held a resplendent shine. Upon the surface of each accessory were multiple rubies, encircling the dark fingers of the gauntlets. They were absolutely marvelous. "Lance... look at these." Lancelot looked to Sonic, while chewing the bread he was given. Sonic laughed as Lancelot was clearly enjoying the treat. He looked at the gauntlets and furrowed his brow.

"I have never seen such gauntlets before." Lancelot replied after swallowing. Sonic pressed the objects into his hand.

"Take them. They'll look great with your armor." Lancelot shook his head.

"I can not do that Sir Sonic. You know that a knight should never accept charity."

"It's not charity! I want you to have it as a gift. Black isn't really my thing anyway." Lancelot took the gauntlets and stared at them. He had never received an honest gift like this before. The King Arthur from the past had rewarded him with things because he did something to earn them, not because he wanted to. He never really cared if one of his Knights were to die in battle. He would just replace them, and Lancelot could do nothing but watch.

"Thank you..." Sonic smiled.

"No worries." Lancelot stood from the log and lowered himself on one knee.

"No, I am truly grateful for this deed Sir Sonic." Sonic stood up and grabbed his hand, helping him up from the ground.

"I don't want you to bow down to me. It's just... I think they'd fit you nicely. But I appreciate the 'thanks' though. It would take me years to get Shadow to do that." Lancelot nodded and looked down to see their hands. He let go of him and went back to the log.

"Can you tell me more about this Shadow?" Sonic nodded and went on about how when they first met, Shadow impersonated Sonic and he got arrested for it. He then talked about how they fought and soon escaped from prison island with this gem called a "chaos emerald". Lancelot looked fascinated the entire time. He was very intrigued by his dimensional counterpart.

"He does not seem like this 'hero' that you make him out to be." Lancelot said. This made Sonic smile.

"There are two sides to every person ya know? He helped me save the entire world. The wrong people just got their hands on him at the wrong time. He's one of the bravest hedgehogs I know." They finished their bread and grabbed their items.

They made it back to the camp site and saw that everyone was almost done packing. Sonic placed the goods in the center of the logs near their fire place. "Knock yourselves out guys." The Knights gathered around the items and mumbled excited incoherences. No one questioned them but Percival locked eyes with Lancelot, giving him a small smile. Lancelot went back to the tent silently. He put his armor on and stared at the gauntlet in his hands. He could not comprehend why Sonic was so kind to him.

At first it irked him to no end but now, it felt good to receive his kindness. King Arthur was cruel and cold, quite like himself, but when he was with the azure creature, it was difficult to retain his tough exterior. He removed his old gauntlets and replaced them with the two crystal gauntlets. He turned his wrists and clenched his fists, testing the new armor. He put on his helm and walked outside of the tent.

Once every knight was dressed and ready to go, the group headed farther into the forest. Sonic held out the yellow Relic to see if it could lead them in the right direction, like some kind of compass. It's dull glow had remained. The relic contrasted with his own sapphire armor.

"My armor looks excellent Tails! Thank you for the polish." Galahad remarked. Tails blushed with excitement. Lancelot could not help but to agree. Collectively, their armor was impeccable. They embodied true Knights as they fearlessly trudged through the forest.

The Knights had traveled for about an hour before they could see a large clearing from beyond the tall trees.

"Looks like we're almost outta here." said Sonic as he turned to the group. A loud rustling was heard from the bushes. The sound came from their right, a few feet away from the trail.

"Halt! Who goes there!?" Gawain unsheathed his twin swords, Galatine, from their holsters. His fellow Knights took out their swords as well. Sonic held out his hand to silence them. His ears perked up when he heard the sounds of... sniffling?

"Hey, it's okay. We won't hurt you." He said softly. From the bushes, he could see two, chocolate colored eyes staring at them. "Are you hurt?"

"No sir... just scared." said a shaky, female voice. The Knights put their swords away.

"You don't have to be afraid. Do you need help?" Percival asked. A petite, young bunny came out, dry tears stained her adorable face and cheeks. She wore a dark brown dress that was covered with dark liquids and dirt.

"Cream?" Sonic asked. The young rabbit cocked her head.

"No Sir, my name is Millicent."

"Hello Millicent!" Tails called out. "Why are you crying?" Millicent started to tremble. Some flying creature was bobbling up and down behind her back.

"My village is being attacked!" She cried. Sonic grabbed Excalibur's handle.

"Who is attacking you?" he demanded through clenched teeth, forcing himself to calm down so he would not scare her.

"These black monsters in red armor. They came from this big, dark castle in the sky. They started to hurt people and we all tried to run away. I lost my mother in the crowd, so I flew here."

"Chao chao!" A small blue figure appeared from behind the small rabbit. She held him back in her arms.

"You are very brave to have ventured out on your own." Galahad said with a smile. Lancelot walked to Millicent and kneeled down. His blood red eyes met her cocoa colored ones.

"Where is your village? Can you lead us to it?" Sonic inwardly smiled at the caring tone in Lancelot's voice. It was authentic and true. He had never heard him speak this way before. Millicent nodded. She walked close to Lancelot as they followed her from the forest. They approached large bronze gates connected by stone. This was the entrance to the village. The yellow relic started to glow, as did Sonic and Lancelot's charms.

"A relic is near by Sir Sonic." Lamorak informed.

"It must be through these gates then." he replied. The gate was slightly ajar and the Knights slithered inside one by one. After entering, they set their belongings down.

Dust and fog levitated above the entire village. Flames could be heard, flickering and crackling through the dry air. Wooden houses had burned down to ash. The sky was gray from the smoke. Entire buildings were nearly demolished. Glass and household items were torn to pieces and carelessly thrown to the ground. No one spoke. Millicent continued to cry, dreams of seeing her mother again vanishing into the fires that embellished them. Scattered farther into the village were black figures upon the cold ground. Percival gasped. Millicent screamed and buried herself into Lancelot's side. Lancelot looked down at the young girl with sorrow. Galahad swept her into his arms in a tight hug.

"Close your eyes! Don't look, promise?" The rabbit nodded and cried into Galahad's chest. Lamorak growled in anger and placed his hands over his head. Tails started to cry as well.

"This can't be..." Gawain turned away. Sonic was silent, staring out into the distance.

Hundreds of dead bodies littered the ground, covered in blood and grime. The villagers resembled broken dolls, thrown away without any mercy. Body parts were twisted into strange positions and angles, children were burned beyond recognition, and faces were frozen in terror before being slaughtered.

"She's gone mad..." Percival muttered. Each victim must have endured pure agony before giving up their final breath. Lancelot approached Sonic slowly.

"Sonic..." Sonic was silent and thought it was hard to admit it, his silence frightened Lancelot. His expression was unreadable. Lancelot had believed it to be shock from the gory image in front of them. "Sonic..." Lancelot placed a hand on his shoulder. Sonic placed his hand on top of Lancelot's. All that could be heard were Millicent's cries.


	6. The Prince & The Princess

**A/N: thanks werehogdog for the favorites, follow and review!** **Your advice also made me think about this chapter much more. I also want to thank alienlover64 for the favorites! I know the last chapter might have been a little heavy but it will get a little lighter later on. Please read and review!**

* * *

 **The Prince & The Princess**

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He was supposed to save them. That was his one and only job, to save all of those people. This was all his fault. If only they had arrived sooner, he would have been able to stop Merlina's henchmen from raiding the village and killing all of those innocent people.

Sonic's heart felt like it weighed a few tons. The relic in his hand continued to glow, even brighter than before. "Sir Sonic... we have to keep moving." Lancelot said to Sonic quietly. He kept quiet and looked at Lancelot, worry and pain etched into his features. They continued to walk. Millicent, or Cream the rabbit, allowed Galahad to carry her. She buried her head into the crevice of his neck. The cold armor made her feel safe. Percival watched Galahad try to comfort the young rabbit. Millicent's small chao followed the Knights. His eyes were closed, as if to say he did not want to see what had become of his home. He held on to Galahad's white quill as he walked.

The relic started to flicker. Sonic's eyes widened. "We're getting off track." He said. Lancelot could not hide his relief once he heard Sonic speak again. He turned to the right and the relic continued to flicker, its glow fading away. He turned to the left and the relic's light grew stronger. "This way."

The group of Knights followed their King quickly. The relic grew brighter and brighter until they reached a huge pile of ash and stones in the middle of the villages square.

"It must be underneath here." said Gawain. The Knights dug through the dirt until it had scattered across the streets of the village. The relic continued to shine.

"Sir Sonic!" Percival raised her hand high in the air to reveal that she was holding a red, circular object with a bright glow.

"That's it!" Tails exclaimed. The Knights rushed over to her.

"What is this doing here? Merlina took all of the relics from us. Why would she leave one behind?" Lamorak asked with suspicion. Lancelot shook his head.

"This was no mistake. Merlina is not careless." The light sounds of dainty feetw hitting the ground alarmed the Knights.

"Millicent!" The young rabbit raised her head.

"Mother!" The caramel colored bunny jumped from Galahad's arms and flew to a woman who looked like an older version of herself. The two embraced, the older rabbit crying with tears of joy.

"I thought I would never see you again." The mother cried. She looked up to see her daughter's brave assailants, happily witnessing their reunion. "Thank you for protecting my daughter." Sonic nodded his head with a smile. Gawain walked forward.

"I know that you have struggled through this dark time my lady, but if there is any information that you can give us on what exactly happened to your village, we would be very grateful." The woman looked at Sonic and caught her breath.

"You... you are King Arthur... are you not?"

"Well uh..."

"Yes he is." Lancelot answered. She nodded.

"Your Majesty, the royal wizard Merlina was behind this tragedy. She used one of the ancient relics to create these horrible monsters that terrorized our village." Galahad raised his visor.

"Why would she do such a thing? Does she not want the kingdom to become eternal?" Millicent's mother shook her head.

"Her goal is to make everyone fear her power. When we refused to surrender, she created these Knights clamored in red armor and ordered them to destroy anything in their path."

"I am so sorry that you had to experience this." Percival raised her visor as well.

"Do not worry for me, nor should you worry for my daughter. All I ask is that you stop Merlina before she kills anymore innocent people." Sonic walked forward.

"I promise you that we will stop her, for good." Millicent let go of her mother and ran to Sonic. She hugged the lower half of his body because of her short height.

"Thank you King Arthur." She whispered. Sonic returned the hug. His sapphire armor clinked together as he kneeled down. The blue chao dropped himself onto Sonic's head and started to squeal. He chuckled.

"Does this little guy have a name?" Millicent shook her head. "Hm... How about... Cheese?" Millicent gasped.

"It's perfect King Arthur."

The Knights bid the broken village a sad farewell, and headed back in the direction they came. They collected their sacks and passed through the bronze gates. A dark silence hung among the group. Although they had found another relic, nothing could raise their spirits. Lancelot's eyes kept wandering over to Sonic's strong form. He walked with brisk and showed no emotion. This was not the King Arthur that Lancelot was accustomed to.

The harsh wind was difficult to walk through. Lamorak almost had to grab Tails' arm to stop the wind from carrying him away as he flew. It was close to midnight, and the sky was too black to even see a few feet ahead.

"King Arthur, we should stop for the night, it is dangerous to travel at this hour." said Percival. Sonic ignored her and kept walking.

"Your Majesty, we have to-"

"Stop calling me that!" Sonic snapped. The Knights stopped walking, as they were taken aback by his sudden outburst. Sonic rubbed his tired eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry... you're right. Let's stop."

Lamorak and Galahad unpacked while Percival and Gawain helped to prepare the food. Once the tents were set, Sonic went inside. He took off his sapphire armor and threw his red charm to the ground. It was supposed to protect them on their journey, but it did nothing to protect those poor people whom Merlina had murdered. Tails took Excalibur and the other weapons away to work on them. The Knights watched Sonic carefully as he retreated to his tent without even touching his dinner.

This was not like their King at all.

A strange, tugging feeling began to build inside of Lancelot's stomach. He felt... worried? He did not know why, but he felt like his king was in need of help. He walked into the tent that him and Sonic shared together.

Sonic was sitting on the ground, his head buried into his knees. "Sir Sonic?" The blue hedgehog turned around. He looked disappointed and tired. "I hope you are not still dwelling on what happened to that village we stumbled upon." Sonic gave a short laugh and looked away.

"I'm no king. A king wouldn't have let all of those people die. We should have been there to stop Merlina. I should have been there." Lancelot walked toward Sonic and sat beside him.

"If you were not a true king, you would have left us behind once King Arthur was exposed, but you did not. You stayed, and helped us defeat Merlina. You are worthy of this title Sir Sonic, you are King Arthur. You can not be blamed for the deaths of those villagers. You would have protected them if you knew of her plan, we all would have." Sonic looked at Lancelot and gave him a sad smile.

"I just wish I could've have saved em, ya know?" Lancelot nodded and stared downward.

"We are prepared now. Merlina is out for blood and she will kill again if she needs to." The wind began to howl, shaking the tent violently. If it were not for the wooden stakes that Tails hammered into the ground, the tent would flown away. Sonic could see that the fire from outside of the tent disintegrated from the cold air. The Knights finished their meals and went to bed.

Sonic shivered and crossed his arms to keep warm. Lancelot watched Sonic with disdain and shifted his body to accommodate his counterpart. He was also a little cold himself and his black armor only made him colder. Lancelot removed his armor and placed each piece on the side of the cot. Sonic blushed at how close the two were. To Lancelot, he did not really see how this situation could be looked at as odd. He was unable to comprehend the meaning of certain circumstances because he was not from Sonic's time. To him, he was just serving his king.

"It's freezing." Sonic spoke through his jitters. Lancelot slowly grabbed a sheet from his cot and placed it around Sonic's shoulders.

"Thanks Lance." he mumbled. Lancelot felt like correcting him but he held his tongue. He had been through enough today. Sonic's eye lids became weak and his head started to tilt. He stifled a yawn and closed his eyes, unknowingly pressing his head against Lancelot's cheek. Lancelot stayed still, he did not want to startle Sonic, even though he was extremely uncomfortable. Lancelot grabbed Sonic's shoulder and leaned his body backward, pressing his backside to the cot beneath them.

Lancelot's body became a firm, heated platform for Sonic to rest against. Lancelot could not stop the faint shade of pink from reaching his muzzle. It was clearly the heat from Sonic's body that made him flustered. He knew that if he stood up from the cot, he could possibly wake Sonic up. The troubled hero shivered in his sleep and he did not want to bother him anymore. Lancelot's mind wandered off to earlier that day, when Sonic had taken him to the fair. He seemed so vibrant and full of life at the time. Lancelot's chest ached once he realized how distressed Sonic was over the villagers.

All thoughts of Sonic being a snide, unworthy King were shattered. He had a deep connection with the people of Camelot, even if he did not know them on a personal level. Sonic turned to his side, still asleep. His face was only a few inches away from Lancelot's face. His warm breath sent a chill down the knight's spine. He allowed his eyes to close, drifting off into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _"And the princess and the prince lived happily ever after." Maria closed the large book of stories, Shadow was still hanging on to her every word._

 _"That is the end?" Maria nodded. "What happens after that? Will the evil queen come back?" Maria giggled._

 _"That's for you to decide Shadow. You can interpret what happens next in any way that you see fit." Shadow was not pleased. The ending of this tale would not suffice and it left so many questions unanswered. Maria noticed his expression and opened the book again. "Would you like another tale?"_

 _"No thank you Maria." Maria rolled her eyes._

 _"Shadow, not everything will end the way you want it to." Shadow sulked._

 _"I understand, but the Queen is not dead. What if she comes back to hurt the princess? How did a kiss wake the princess from her sleep?" Maria set the book aside and moved closer to Shadow. He was thinking about the story from an analytical point of view and not as a ploy for entertainment._

 _"Sometimes, the bad people in a story don't matter. All that matters is the happiness that the prince and the princess give each other. If the queen were to come back, she could never stop the love between them." Shadow's brow furrowed._

 _"Love...?" Maria nodded._

 _"Yes... love."_

 _"The same 'love' that you have for me when you say 'goodnight I love you'?" Maria giggled and held Shadow's hand._

 _"There is a big difference from loving someone and being in love Shadow. I do love you, but like a brother. The prince and the princess are in love with each other. They can't be without the other for more than a few minutes."_

 _"But that's how I feel about you Maria. I can't be without you either."_

 _"I feel the same way Shadow, but romance is different. A kiss on the cheek or the forehead is not the same as a kiss on the lips, like what the prince gave the princess." Shadow kissed Maria on her cheek, making her smile. "You'll see one day... When you and I go to earth, you'll find the one person who makes you feel... like you're the only two people in the world. I'm going to find my prince one day too."_

 _"So we can live happily ever after..." Shadow remembered hearing from the story. Maria caught her breath as a new idea came to mind._

 _"I'll be right back." Maria ran out of their secret room and returned with two sheets of paper and a bunch of colorful markers and crayons. "Let's write our own fairy tales!"_

 _"Alright."_

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Sonic opened his eyes. The weather had calmed down since the night before and the sun was shining through the opening of the tent. Sonic was a little alarmed when he felt a soft presence beside him. He turned to see Lancelot, peacefully sleeping by his side. Sonic blushed and slid away from the sleeping knight. He hoped that no one had seen them like that. He soon felt remorse for the thought.

Lancelot was only trying to comfort him, it just so happened that they both fell asleep, together, on the same cot.

"King Arthur?" Sonic turned to Excalibur. "You should wake Lancelot. We must get ready to leave." Sonic cringed.

"You didn't... see anything did you?"

"See what?" Sonic shook his head.

"Never mind." He turned to Lancelot. His face still kept its serious expession, yet his features were more relaxed. It was a sight to behold. Sonic did not really want to wake him up.

Sonic put his armor on and gently nudged Lancelot with his hand. "Lance..." The knight revealed a crimson eye.

"Yes?"

"It's time to go." Lancelot stood up and faced Sonic.

"My name is Lancelot, I prefer that name instead of the one you have bestowed upon me without my permission."

"Whatever you say Lance." Lancelot walked out of the tent, leaving Sonic to wonder alone, his blush still evident.


	7. Chivalry

**A/N: hi guys! This is gonna definitely be a surprise for you guys lol. I can't wait! Thank you The Chuckinator and C Rinkuki for the follow and the favorite! I appreciate it and I have been getting tons of reviews lately so thank you guys!**

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 **Chivalry**

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Lancelot and Sonic avoided each other at all costs. They were not really ignoring each other, they were very aware of the others presence, but when one of them spoke, the other refused to chime in verbally. Lancelot noticed that whenever Sonic and him locked eyes for even a second, the azure hedgehog looked away and started to walk even quicker than before. He felt that his King was disgusted with him. Had he done something wrong? It made him a little frustrated. He did his very best to help his King, so why was he treating the Knight of the Lake this way?

Sonic led the Knights as usual. He was talking to Tails about his home called Mobius, and the young kit seemed extremely interested.

"So you have a little brother?" The orange fox asked with wide eyes.

"I do. He looks a lot like you actually."

"Your brother is a fox?" Sonic nodded.

"He's not my biological brother. I kinda took him in and now he lives with me. He's the closest thing to a brother that I got though."

"That is very noble of you King Arthur." Sonic laughed.

"I mean... I guess it is." Lancelot frowned. Once again, he felt like a peasant was being treated with more respect. Lancelot made a mental note and left the matter alone.

The Knights had ventured into another small, bleak village. Many of the wooden houses within the village were void of all life. Either the families inside were asleep, or just not there. Sonic noticed a few people walking in the opposite direction of the group. When they laid their eyes on Sonic, they would whisper and snicker. Some would glare and others would speak obscenities beneath their breath. Gawain growled in annoyance.

"If they have something to say, why do they not speak up?! What cowards!"

"We would appear foolish if we were to start a fight with a few peasants. Leave them be Gawain." Lamorak whispered. The cobblestone streets of the village became thinner. Sonic's ears perked up when he heard sounds of laughter and music. The more they traveled into the village, the louder the villagers became. Soon, the Knights stumbled upon a noisy tavern. Galahad scrunched his nose.

"Your Majesty, please do not tell me you are thinking of going inside of this horrid place?"

"Maybe someone here knows where Merlina is. We could use the help." Sonic said. Percival nodded.

"The King is right. Walking around aimlessly is a waste of our time." Galahad whined as the Knights walked inside. Gawain laughed.

"You could always stay outside if you are afraid, Sir Knight of the Storms."

"I am not afraid!" As soon as Sonic opened the creaky door, it almost fell off of its hinges. The tavern smelled of rotten beer and mud. It was also extremely musty. Everyone in the tavern turned their attention to the new arrivals and became silent. Tails started to tremble.

"Why are they staring at us?" he whispered to no one in particular. Many of the villagers in attendance smirked and laughed. A few spit on the ground. Some started to whisper. Sonic could not hear exactly what they were saying, but he could make out a few things.

They spoke of the village that Merlina had raided. They mumbled curses and crude things. The question that was on everyone's mind was: how could a strong king let so many people die? Sonic's blood began to boil. Lancelot could hear a few words as well. He stepped forward.

"I beg your pardon, but if any of you have a few choice words to say about King Arthur, then I ask you to answer to me. This noble Knight of the Wind before you has saved all of you from the Royal Wizard's clutches. We have all risked our lives to protect the Kingdom. How dare you treat us this way?! As if we are nothing but the dirt beneath your feet. If you doubt him now, then I will gladly watch as Merlina takes each of your lives, one by one. I might even join her." Everyone remained silent. There was a similar look of fear upon the villagers faces. Lancelot's threats were not to be taken lightly.

Sonic had to lower his sapphire visor to hide his blush. A bubbly feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach. Lancelot was defending him to a room full of strangers. Why was he doing this? And more importantly, why did it make Sonic feel this way? Although Lancelot reminded the blue hedgehog of Shadow, Lancelot was more respectful, and honorable. He was chivalrous and proud to be a hero. After their night in the tent together, Sonic could not help but notice how close the two started to become. He mentally shook himself from his stupor. Sonic knew for a fact that he was not attracted to Lancelot, or Shadow. He had dated many Mobian females in the past. Sally, Fiona, and although he never dated Amy, the relentless pink hedgehog was always attached to his side. Yet, whenever Lancelot, or Shadow even, gave him a chilling look, he felt some kind of protection and reassurance. All of a sudden, a voice grabbed Sonic's attention. The Knights turned to the back of the tavern.

"Well look who it is. Sir Lancelot. What are you doing here?" An ivory, female bat with a curvaceous form spoke behind the table of the tavern. She wore a violet, tight fitting dress with a deep indigo corset. The linen of her garments were black and embroidered flowers decorated the skirts. She had sea-green eyes and purple wings. _Rouge_.

"Lady Guinevere, it is a pleasure to see you again." Lancelot took her hand in his and placed a gentle kiss to it. Sonic gritted his teeth as his blush grew darker upon his peach muzzle, a spark of jealousy crossed his mind. The tavern was still silent.

"Alright, mind your business you blokes!" Guinevere shouted angrily. Conversation and laughter erupted once more. Guinevere motioned for the Knights to follow her into the back of the tavern. The group walked through a damp and warm hallway into a kitchen of some kind. Empty crates littered the ground.

"I have not seen you all for so long! And you..." Guinevere turned to Sonic with a curtsy, "it is a pleasure to meet you King Arthur. I hope you do not take what the villagers said to heart. They are just scared. They do not want their fate to be the same as the village a few miles away. We all assume that we are the next to be raided." Sonic nodded and raised his visor so that his eyes and mouth were visible.

"It's fine... I get why they're afraid." Lancelot and Sonic glanced at each other. Sonic lowered his visor once more, making Lancelot frown.

"Lady Guinevere, what has become of you?" Percival asked with pity. Guinevere placed her hands on her hips with attitude.

"What is that supposed to mean Sir Percival? I am still the same person that I was before, I just..." She looked away, her ears drifted downward as a look of despair grazed her beautiful face.

"Word of you leaving the kingdom never reached our ears. It is like you disappeared." Galahad said.

"Good riddance." Everyone turned their attention to Gawain.

"Sir Gawain! I didn't even notice you here, since you are always standing in Lancelot's shadow..." Guinevere said. Lamorak could not contain his laughter as Lancelot smirked and crossed his arms. Gawain was fuming with rage, his cheeks were pink from either embarrassment, or something else that Sonic could not name. Before Gawain could reply, Lancelot decided to interrupt.

"My Lady, please tell me, how did you end up here in this filthy tavern?" Sonic listened intently.

"As you know, being the King's royal advisor and treasurer, I was entrusted with all of the gold and jewels within the kingdom. I also helped with making major decisions with the King. One day, all of the jewels and gold went missing. I was immediately blamed and sent away, never to return to the Kingdom again."

"Woah... that's harsh." Sonic muttered. Guinevere nodded.

"Are you not aware? The king was but an illusion. He was a spell that Merlina had created." Galahad said. Guinevere's brow furrowed.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked. Lancelot growled.

"Merlina... She hid all of the gold so that she had a reason to banish you." He said viciously. Sonic caught his breath.

"She needed you out of the way so that she could have no witnesses!" Lamorak nodded.

"She knew that the King's advisor would never let him kill Sir Sonic for no apparent reason." Guinevere was practically seething.

"That wizard... she ruined my life..." Gawain stepped forward, he was calm.

"I am so sorry Lady Guinevere. If only we had known-" Guinevere held up a hand to silence him.

"I know Sir Gawain... I just can't believe that after all this time..."

"Merlina will pay for what she has done to you." Lancelot said. Guinevere turned to Sonic.

"It is late My King, you should stay here for the night, at least until we know what Merlina will do next." Sonic nodded.

"We will stay and protect the village until we have a plan."

"Until then, let's rest." Percival stated. Guinevere shooed all of the customers out of the tavern and locked the doors. She showed the Knights' to their temporary living arrangement above the tavern. Her and Gawain helped store the bags. In contrast to sleeping outside, the attic was quite warm and comfortable. There were few guest rooms upstairs, so some of the Knights still had to share.

"Go on and finish getting ready. I will prepare dinner." Guinevere said.

"I will help." Percival offered as they walked down the stairs. Sonic and Lancelot placed their items in their rooms and took off their armor. Tails retreated to the bathroom to clean the armor with water. Sonic grabbed his cot and placed it on the side of the bed. Lancelot snatched the cot away from him.

"What are you doing?" Sonic asked.

"I will take the cot. You must sleep on the bed." Sonic smirked and took the cot back.

"No way dude. I got the floor. You can have the bed." Sonic knew that he would rather have the bed, but he despised being treated like a king. Lancelot smirked and grabbed the cot once more.

"I _insist_ Your Majesty. I will sleep on the floor."

"Nope. You can have the bed Lance." Lancelot growled.

"Give me the cot." Sonic smiled dangerously.

"No." Lancelot took hold of the cot. Sonic held on and tightened his grip. The two snatched the thin cotton back and forth. It was an all out battle for who was more chivalrous than the other. After grabbing the cot back, Sonic made a run for it. He dodged Lancelot and jumped toward the bed, landing on it with a flat back. Lancelot grabbed the cot and smirked as Sonic was laying down on the bed. He felt accomplished.

"Like I said before, you can have the bed."

"Hey!" Give it back." Sonic stood up on his knees and reached a hand out. Lancelot raised his hand backward so that he could not take hold of the soft material. Their chests were connected as Sonic almost helplessly reached for the desired item. Sonic's knees were digging into the mattress of the bed as Lancelot was standing right in front of him. A short silence stopped the two from moving. Sonic froze. Crimson eyes met emerald ones. He wanted to put his theory to the test.

 _Eh... What the hell._

In one swift motion, Sonic brushed his lips against Lancelot's, stealing a sweet, simple kiss. Lancelot dropped the cot as his body tensed up. His eyes widened, a deep shade of pink appeared upon his cheeks. Sonic backed away and bit his lip. He put his firm hands behind Lancelot's neck, pushing him forward. He kissed him once more, elongating the interaction this time. Sonic closed his eyes, secretly hoping that Lancelot would do the same. He snuck a quick look at the knight, seeing that his eyes were closed as well. Lancelot placed a hand on Sonic's side hesitantly. He pulled away, breaking the kiss.

"Sir..." Lancelot could not even speak. His chest was tight. He gave Sonic a questioning look. He placed his hands over Sonic's, they were still behind his neck. Guinevere poked her head upstairs, not aware of what was happening in the room to the left.

"Dinner is ready!"


	8. Alone

**A/N: the support I've received for this story is just remarkable. Thank you all so much! This chapter is extremely short but I still hope you enjoy it a lot. Please review!**

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 **Alone**

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 _Sonic smiled and laughed, enjoying their short lived victory. "Way to go Shadow! We sure did show those black creatures!" Sonic draped his peach arm over the ebony hedgehog's shoulder. Shadow looked away with a scowl, making Sonic want to lighten the mood. "Well... I showed them... you were a little slow." said Sonic._

 _"Hmph."_

 _"How's about a little race action? Some friendly competition? What'd ya say?" Shadow frowned._

 _"Don't waste my time. Besides, we already know that I would win." He said while smirking._

 _"Oh yeah...?" A growl was heard, grabbing the attention of the two hedgehogs. Black Eye appeared. The creature had been following Shadow and Sonic's every move._

 _"Don't get too cocky." Shadow said as he pointed to Black Eye. Its repulsing tentacles started to squirm in anger. The oily slit that served as an eye lid started to close, hiding the demonic red pupil._

 _"Do you really believe that you can defeat me Shadow?! I was the one to create you! You will pay for this." The streets of Westopolis started to tremble violently. A blood curdling screech was heard a few blocks away from where they were standing. A humongous, gelatin like monster with wings made its way from the darkness behind the crumbling skyscrapers. The alien bobbed up and down, its tiny wings too weak to carry its blubbery body. "Black Bull, obliterate these fools!" The beast screeched in agreement and flew forward. Black Eye disappeared in a puff of inky smoke._

 _"Bring it on!" Sonic ran toward the monster with a smirk. Shadow shook his head to the sky and rolled his eyes._

 _"Get back here!" He shouted and ran to catch Sonic. He grabbed his arm and pulled him underneath the nearby highway. "This is my fight Sonic. I don't want you involved." Sonic scrunched his nose._

 _"Oh c'mon Shadow! I just wanna help you out." Shadow looked downward with his arms crossed._

 _"You could get yourself killed. Those soldiers are shooting blindly, not caring what they hit as long as they shoot Black Doom's creatures." Sonic's brow furrowed._

 _"When have you ever cared about what happened to me?" Shadow gritted his teeth. Why was he being so stubborn?_

 _"I don't care what happens to you! I'm not here to save you but if you insist on being an idiot then by all means, get shot. I won't be there to catch you when you fall." Sonic acted on impulse and kissed Shadow on his cheek. Shadow caught his breath and pressed a gloved hand to where Sonic's lips had touched._

 _"I know that's not how you feel. I get it if it's a pride thing. You wanna figure the past out for yourself, but you need somebody to help you do it. I can help you find the chaos emeralds." Shadow turned away in disapproval, trying to hide his faint blush._

 _"This is my fight."_

 _"That doesn't mean you have to face it alone, now let's beat that thing." Sonic ran back to the streets. Shadow's hand cascaded over his cheek gently._

* * *

As soon as dinner was over, Lancelot silently walked up the stairs of the tavern and went back into the guest room that Rouge, or Guinevere, had prepared. Sonic looked down at his empty dish. Had he made a mistake? The kiss between him and Lancelot was... weird. It felt nice, but it did not have the same impact as any other kiss. It was way better. Sonic swore he felt Lancelot return the gesture too.

Does a kiss even mean the same thing in medieval times like it does in his time? Was a kiss just a normal thing to do, or did it mean much more? Sonic could not deny it anymore. He had strange feelings for his ebony counterpart, but he was not sure if he liked Lancelot, or Shadow. Sonic placed his empty dish in the basin and walked up the stairs, bidding goodnight to his fellow Knights.

Sonic turned to see that the guest room door was still open. The candle that lit the room had been blown out. Lancelot was asleep on the cot. Sonic smirked. Of course he was going to take the cot instead of the bed.

 _Two can play at this game..._

Sonic slowly walked toward Lancelot and laid himself beside the knight. He selfishly tugged at the covers and turned his back, snatching the warmth from Lancelot's body. Lancelot growled and took the cover back.

"Don't tell me we're gonna fight over covers too." Sonic asked while standing. Lancelot did not respond. He sighed. "Fine... you win."

Sonic jumped onto the bed and got comfortable. He kept glancing at Lancelot. He felt pity for him. He did not feel right letting someone sleep on the floor while he had a warm bed. "Lance... hey... you asleep?"

"I _was_."

"Look, just come up here. I'll scoot over so you can have room..." The request garnered no response. "Are you comin' up or not?"

"It would not be proper of me." He thought of the kiss that the two shared.

"It's not a big deal... if you're still thinking about earlier... I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I shouldn't have done that... I wasn't thinking straight." Lancelot remained on the ground with his back to Sonic. He did not want the King to see his disappointed demeanor.

"So it was a mistake?" Lancelot asked. Sonic scratched his head in confusion.

"No. I just... I wanted to do it, but I don't know why. I'm sorry though, if you didn't want it to happen." Lancelot was quiet. Sonic could only see his still silhouette on the ground. His breathing was steady.

"I did not mind. I only mind if you do."

"Hold on... What?" Sonic lifted the upper portion of his body from the bed. "You don't mind?"

"You are the King. If that is what you wanted, then who am I to object?" Sonic got angry.

"That kiss wasn't something I commanded you to do. I meant it, and if I remember correctly, you kissed me back. Did you even mean it? Or did you just kiss me back because I'm your king?" Lancelot turned his attention to Sonic.

"I do not appreciate your tone Sir Sonic. I am a knight, I can not be distracted by such endeavors." Sonic shook his head in disgust. He only kissed him back because he had to honor his wishes as a King? Sonic turned away and plopped back down onto his back. Lancelot remained facing the blue hedgehog. He sighed. He did not mean to upset Sonic. He knew that he meant it as well when he returned the kiss, but this was not normal.

Lancelot had never received such affection before. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He was not educated in the matter of romance but it felt natural to copy Sonic's movement. The black knight was afraid to give into these feelings. They felt wrong yet right all at the same time. Lancelot shifted his weight so that he could see over the edge of the bed.

"No one has ever done that to me before." Sonic turned back around. "I do not know why I returned this kiss of yours, but I did mean it, King Arthur. A true Knight does not make mistakes." Sonic smiled sadly.

"I keep forgetting that in my time, things are very different from here." He muttered.

"Does this gesture of affection mean something specific in your world?" Sonic motioned for Lancelot to take a seat beside him. Lancelot complied.

"When you kiss someone, it means that you like them... a lot. More than a friend. It means that you wanna be with them." Lancelot cocked his head.

"I am with you. I am with you right now." Sonic laughed.

"No, not like that. It means that you care for them in a different way."

"Is this how you feel about me King Arthur?" Sonic pondered the question for a moment.

"I don't know exactly."

"I see."

"Don't take it the wrong way. I'm just confused." Lancelot nodded. He could understand where Sonic was coming from. These feelings inside of his stomach made him excited to see what would happen next, but not at all prepared. Sonic laid back down and shifted over to make more room for Lancelot.

"Is that what we are King Arthur?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are we more than acquaintances?"

"You're asking a lot of questions." Sonic laughed.

"I apologize." Sonic stopped laughing and grabbed Lancelot's hand in reassurance.

"I was joking... again."

"I do not find these jokes at all humorous Sir." Lancelot replied. He looked at their hands together, not moving away. "If you would like to engage in a courtship, I will not have any right to oppose." Lancelot muttered. Sonic guessed that a courtship was the same as dating.

"No... I don't want to force you into something. That's not cool."

"I am not being forced. I make my own decisions as a Knight of the Round Table. I refuse to appease anyone else but myself, unless I am called to complete a task."

"This isn't some task Lance."

"That is not my name." Sonic yawned.

"Enough talking. Let's go to sleep. I'm exhausted." Sonic turned his back to Lancelot once more. "G'night."

Lancelot grunted in acknowledgement. He kept awake, pondering the events that will unfold the next day.


	9. Imposter

**A/N: sorry this took so freaking long guys. There are also tons of page breaks in here so I hope it's not too much lol. Please enjoy! I think you all might enjoy this chapter a bit!**

* * *

 **Imposter**

 **•**

 **•**

 **•**

Sonic awoke with a start. Loud yells and chants were heard just outside of the tavern doors. He turned to see Lancelot still asleep. He chuckled once he realized how much of a heavy sleeper he was.

The window had been left open from the night before. The velvet colored sheets were the only pieces of fabric that protected the two hedgehogs from the crisp, frosty air. The weather looked beautiful from beyond the wooden window, but it was unbelievably cold in the room. Sonic snatched the covers from Lancelot's body, resulting in him opening one of his crimson eyes.

"Something's happening outside. Let's go see what's up." Lancelot gurgled something incomprehendible. "What'd you say?" Sonic asked with a short laugh.

"Why are you awake at this hour? You usually sleep till noon." He repeated with a gravelly tone.

"Do you not hear all of the noise outside?" Lancelot lifted himself from the bed and peered out of the window. The townspeople were shouting various worries to their King Arthur.

"No, I was not aware. I believe that they are speaking about you." Sonic's blue brow furrowed.

"Me? What did I do this time?"

"These people do not look angry, they look frightened." Sonic leaned out of the bed to get a better look behind Lancelot. The shrill shouts grew louder once the villagers had noticed their King staring down at them from above. Sonic frowned a little and looked away. "They know that you will protect them, they are just afraid of what Merlina will do next." The azure hero turned his attention to his raven colored companion. He grabbed his hand. Lancelot looked down at the contact.

"Ya know, I can't protect them by myself."

"I will be there."

"I know." Sonic wanted to place a kiss upon Lancelot's cheek, but fought the urge. He let go of Lancelot's hand and went to grab his armor. "I'm starving. Let's go eat." Excalibur was propped up beside the wall, a smile was plastered onto his face.

As the two Knights traveled downstairs, the others started to wake up and follow suit. The desperate cries for help were still evident among the entire village. The noise stretched for miles and miles. Percival and Guinevere were almost done with breakfast when Guinevere growled.

"I can barely think with all of this noise! King Arthur, can you please tell your loyal subjects to be silent?!" Sonic swallowed his food.

"I can try?" The response sounded more like a question than an answer. Sonic stood and adjusted his armor into a more comfortable manner. He gave Lancelot a nervous look. He noticed and with a curt nod, stood up as well.

"Where are you going Sir Lancelot?" Galahad asked.

"That is none of your concern. I will be back." The two hedgehogs walked to the front door of the tavern and exited.

"Our King and the Knight of the Lake seem to be getting along a lot better now." Percival commented. Gawain nodded.

"I am just glad Lancelot has not tried to overthrow Sir Sonic's ruling." Lamorak stopped chewing.

"That is preposterous Gawain."

"Why would he do such a thing? He is one of the most loyal Knights in the entire kingdom." Galahad defended. Gawain grunted and continued to eat his meal.

* * *

"People of uh... the village..." If Lancelot knew what a face palm was, he probably would have done just that. Sonic had no idea on how to speak to the public. "I know that you are all probably scared or whatever... and I get it. It's no secret about what happened in the last village we passed..." Sonic looked to Lancelot for guidance. Lancelot stood still with his arms crossed. He lifted his visor and nodded, gesturing for Sonic to keep going. "A lot of people were killed that day and it really sucks. But I promise you that while I am here, that will never happen again." Sonic's emerald eyes turned dark. "I knew Merlina personally, and I made the mistake of trusting her. I did not know that she was ever capable of doing something like that. She used to be kind and she would only use her powers for good, but something is just not right with her anymore. Merlina will probably come here, but the Knights of the Round table and I are here to protect you. We will not stop fighting until Merlina gives up the relics." The villagers were quiet. Sonic closed his eyes, hoping that he got through to them.

Without notice, the villagers erupted in cheers and praises. Sonic gave a sigh of relief. Lancelot lowered his visor. King Arthur was finally stepping up to the plate.

* * *

The Knights of the Round Table split up in pairs to surround the village. Percival and Galahad traveled to the far East of village to guard the ports. Lamorak and Gawain traveled North, guarding the trail that led to the exit of the village near the forest. Lancelot and Sonic guarded the South, where there were more people. Tails stayed behind and polished the remaining weapons and armor that were left behind. A euphoric sense of peace lingered throughout the village. Everyone felt safe once again, now that King Arthur and his fellow Knights were there to protect them for the time being.

Sonic and Lancelot were placed beneath a wooden arch that symbolized the entrance of the village. Sonic hated standing still for elongated periods of time. He resorted to walking in circles, jumping up and down, and trying to sleep on the ground to give his body something to do. He started to twirl Excalibur on the tip of his finger while Lancelot just watched in pure amusement.

"Put me down Knave! I am starting to feel a little nauseous..." Excalibur groaned in misery. Sonic stopped and set the sword down in the palms of his gauntlets.

"Can a sword even feel sick?"

"I am not just some _sword_ Your Majesty. Now put me back in your holster so I can rest!"

"Alright jeez..." Sonic complied with the order.

"King Arthur, we have only been standing here for a few minutes and you are acting quite restless." Lancelot stated.

"Alright, I let the 'King Arthur' thing go on for long enough. I let it slide a couple of times but now it's getting annoying. You can call me Sonic if you don't mind Sir _Lance_." He emphasized the nickname teasingly.

"Then you must call me Sir Lancelot."

"But... I like Lance better." Sonic poked out his lip, making Lancelot roll his eyes. "Besides, I'm a king right? Can't I call you what I want?"

"So _now_ you want to claim your title. You need to get your priorities in order Your Majesty." His tone was not laced with agitation. He sounded more like an adult scolding a reckless teenager. Sonic smiled and threw his arms around Lancelot's neck. The black knight stiffened a bit but then relaxed into the blue hero's touch. Their helms clinked together, causing a ringing sound to emanate around them. Sonic lifted his sapphire visor. Lancelot kept his lowered to hide his pink muzzle. Sonic could barely see through the ebony slits. Lancelot's ruby eyes were playing hide and seek beneath the dark armor.

"My speech was awesome wasn't it?"

"It was decent. You need work when it comes to speaking to your subjects."

"Yeah whatever. I'm still kinda new at this whole thing."

"That is fairly obvious." Sonic pressed his lips together in frustration.

"Can you lift your thingie up?"

"My what?"

"This thing covering your face." Sonic pointed to his onyx visor. Lancelot scoffed but lifted it anyway.

"Why do you want my visor raised?" He asked with confusion. Sonic shrugged his shoulders. His arms were still around Lancelot's neck.

"I don't know. I just can't see you."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah it does... I just want to see you more."

"Hmph."

The pair stayed like that for a few moments. They were silent and content. Lancelot closed his eyes and leaned into the position. His mind could not analyze what was happening between him and Sonic, but the sensation of being so close to him felt natural. If Sonic were to hug him or touch him like this a few days ago, he would have been repulsed by the sight of him, but now everything was different. Lancelot did not feel happy, but he felt calm and carefree, which was difficult to experience for a Knight of his rank.

The two did not notice that their charms were glowing beneath their breastplates. They glowed like that whenever Sonic and Lancelot were engaging in physical contact. It was strange and eerie, but they did not seem to mind.

Sonic pecked Lancelot on the lips and backed away. Lancelot almost felt disappointed that their connection was over so soon. Almost. Sonic sat down on the ground and placed his hands behind his armor-clad quills. "I'm hungry."

"When are you not?" Sonic laughed.

"Let's go grab a bite to eat."

"I am not famished and we are not allowed to leave our post yet."

"Fine then. Why don't I go get something to eat, and you stay here?"

"What you do does not matter to me."

"Whatever you say Shads..." Sonic mumbled and sped off into the village. Lancelot pretended not to hear but he could not stop his thoughts from flooding through his mind. Why did Sonic keep referring to him as Shadow? Could he really blame him for the comparison? Lancelot tried to push this nagging feeling away but it still lingered. He inwardly scoffed. Such accusations were quite petty. He was a Knight of the Round Table. Trivial matters like this should never make him question his identity. Yet, he could not help but to wonder about this Shadow the Hedgehog...

* * *

 _"Where'd you get that chaos emerald?! You fake hedgehog!" Sonic stared up at his black doppelgänger. His quills were streaked with crimson spikes. He was standing on top of a pile of disassembled G.U.N. robots._

 _"Fake?! You must be joking... I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me?! Hah! You're not even good enough to be my fake..."_

 _"I'll make you eat those words you phony freak!" Sonic pounced forward, reeling his fist back to attack._

 _"You won't even get the chance! Chaos control!" The black hedgehog raised the green emerald in the air and disappeared. Sonic was just a second too late._

 _"Woah... He's fast." All of a sudden, Sonic was kicked from behind. He was propelled downward and hit the concrete with ground breaking force._

 _"That's not all I can do... You're gonna have to light a fire under those feet if you want to get this emerald back." Sonic turned around, stealing a glance at the mysterious creature. The look in those blood red orbs of his were impassioned and ardent. Sonic closed his eyes. If he was going to fight this guy head on, he needed to be patient, something that he was not really good at. Once his black counterpart started teleport, Sonic took a deep breath. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion._

 _1...2...3..._

 _Sonic turned around and threw a quick punch. His fist caught the jaw of his enemy, forcing the mysterious stranger to flip backward._

 _"Not bad for an imposter..." He mumbled. Police sirens were soon heard in the distance. They started to grow louder and louder until blurs of blur and red started to set light to the streets and towers. "I believe I should make myself scarce. It was a pleasure to meet you face to face Sonic. I hope that we can meet again." The black hedgehog smirked and disappeared for a final time._

* * *

Sonic returned with a handful of delectable items in different cases and woven baskets. "You shoulda seen it Lance. People were just throwing all this free stuff at me! I tried to get two of everything so we have plenty to share!"

"You got two of everything?" The brooding knight asked. Sonic nodded.

"Yeah. I wouldn't get something without getting it for you too, even if you say you're not hungry." He smiled. Lancelot looked away.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He sat down with the food. Lancelot turned his attention to Sonic. As soon as he was about to take a bite of some sweet treat, Lancelot walked over to him and grabbed his hand. He placed a short kiss to it, making Sonic freeze up. Lancelot lowered his visor and stood up straight, returning to his post. The azure hedgehog started to blush. A familiar voice brought Sonic out of his daze.

"Sir Sonic! Sir Lancelot! Come quick!" The voice sounded like... Tails? Sonic pouted and put the treat down. Sonic and Lancelot rushed into the village. The blacksmith was shaking.

"What's wrong?" Sonic asked.

"The other Knights! They need help! Merlina is here."


	10. Wounded

**A/N: happy belated Thanksgiving and happy December! I can't wait for xmas! I'm so sorry this took so freaking long guys. It's been a super long week. This chapter has tons of action in it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wounded**

 **•**

 **•**

 **•**

Sonic and Lancelot looked to each other and nodded. Together, they ran through the village and unsheathed Arondight and Excalibur. Grunts and cries were soon heard deeper into the village. The sharp sounds of metal on metal echoed throughout the cobblestone streets. Villagers had shut their doors and were hiding behind the half-timbered walls.

Sonic and Lancelot both skidded to a stop to take in the scene. Percival, Galahad, Gawain, Lamorak and even Guinevere were battling Merlina's henchmen. The battle was taking place near the exit of the village and spilled out into the forest. Percival utilized her pyrokinesis to burn the black smoky knights into oblivion with her sword Laevatein.

Galahad lifted his enemies from the ground with his telekinisis and pushed his cyan dagger through their airborn bodies. Gawain was fighting by his side with fury. Lamorak was alone, attacking the beasts with his twin swords that were in the form of wings. He sliced through the foggy black knights as if they were nothing at all. Guinevere's appearance shocked Sonic most of all. She was clad in amethyst armor and had begun to battle the henchmen as they stalked toward the center of the village. She used a thin blade with a pink ribbon around the handle as her weapon. Unbeknownst to the white bat, one of Merlina's creatures had wielded its sword behind her, ready to strike.

"Guinevere!" Gawain shouted as a warning. She gasped and turned around, too late to counterattack. Gawain jumped forward and landed in front of Guinevere, shielding their bodies with his weapons, Galatine. With a quick swipe of the two swords, the knight was defeated.

"Thank you Sir Gawain." Guinevere said in between breaths.

"You need to be more careful."

"I did not know you cared so much." She replied with a smirk. Gawain grunted and continued fighting.

So many events were happening all at once. Sonic could assume that the Knights were doing fairly well, considering the fact that no one had been hurt yet. The Blacksmith had finally caught up with the two hedgehogs. Sonic turned to him while Lancelot joined the fight.

"Where did you see Merlina?" He asked Tails. The young kitsune pointed to the depths of the forest.

"She was standing there when all of these monsters appeared." Sonic nodded and sped past the action.

The bark of the trees were all just a brown blur as Sonic ran past them, clutching Excalibur with extreme force.

"Sir Sonic, you must keep your guard up. Merlina's magic is quite strong, she will eliminate you in a matter of seconds if you are not careful." Sonic ignored him and kept running. A dark figure a few feet ahead of him made him halt. The silhouette was wearing a fur hood connected to a long cape that draped down its backside. It was holding a tall, thick staff that held an enchanting orb.

"Merlina!" Sonic shouted and held out Excalibur. The figure turned around and looked up, revealing those demented yellow orbs that would give any child bad dreams. The wizard removed the hood, allowing her enthralling violet hair to cascade past her shoulders. Sonic frowned and clutched both hands onto Excalibur's handle.

"It is so good to see you again King Arthur."

"Merlina... don't make me do this..." Sonic warned.

"Do what My Liege? Kill me? I do deserve it, do I not? After all of those people that were killed by my knights..." Merlina spoke in a monotone voice. Her libidinous stare made Sonic sick to his stomach. She was void of all emotion and life. Her skin was gray, dark markings that resembled vines stained her thin face.

 _She's just toying with me..._

"Why are you doing this Merlina? You know that this isn't right. A kingdom that lasts forever? Nobody will be happy. Everything has to change at some point..."

"It is inevitable King Arthur. My grandfather's plan will be carried out, no matter what you say."

"I won't let you!" Sonic ran forward and swung Excalibur, its impeccable edge slicing nothing but the air.

"The Black Knight was right, your swordsmanship is quite sloppy My King." Merlina had teleported behind Sonic and struck him in the back with a surge of dark energy. He exclaimed in anguish as he hit a nearby tree. Sonic stood up and lunged forward once more, making every attempt to strike Merlina. The devious wizard dodged his attacks with astounding agility. She disappeared. Sonic caught his breath. His vision went black as an excruciating pain undulated through his skull. He fell to the ground.

"Sonic!" Excalibur shouted. "You fool! You must be strong! Do not turn your back!" Merlina closed her eyes.

"Oh My King... tell me more of Sir Lancelot and your supreme reign. Has he not overthrown your rule yet? I had at first believed that you were far too weak to control a kingdom. Him and the other Knights were planning to revolt against your ruling. If you were to join me once more, I could help you rip Lancelot and the others apart, piece by piece..."

Sonic was seething with rage. Was this the truth? Did Lancelot plan to take the crown and deceive him? Why was he will trying to get through to Merlina? It was clear now that she was gone. Her mind and heart were clouded greed and vexation. Sonic knew that he had to stop her once and for all.

With a loud battle cry, he spun around and swung Excalibur in the Dark Queen's direction. The tip of the sword gouged her cheek, causing her to recoil and scream in agony.

"You will pay for that dearly..."

* * *

Lancelot plunged his sword into his enemies without even breaking a sweat. The amount of monsters started to diminish as he kept fighting. Lancelot scanned the area to become aware of the current situation. All of the Knights were still in battle except... Sonic.

Lancelot growled. Where was Sir Sonic? He was only here a few minutes ago. Had it been longer than that? How long had they been fighting? Lancelot returned his attention to the Knights. Their attacks were losing speed and precision. Gawain, Guinevere and Galahad were breathing heavily. Lamorak's viridescent feathers were soaking in perspiration. Percival struggled to keep fighting. Her legs started to shake uncontrollably. Guinevere turned to him.

"Sir Lancelot! We must stop. We can not go on like this!" She said while fending off another creature. He raised his visor and snarled. He knew that she was right, but if they stopped now, the village would be in even more danger. He thought of how Sonic reacted when he saw the lifeless bodies of the villagers, drowning in their own blood. He did not want to see him like that again, and he refused to fail his King.

"No! We can not let these creatures get to the people!" He said as he threw red spears of light to push back the monsters. Lancelot's charm started to glow so bright, it was almost blinding. A dull ache bloomed inside of his chest. He was overcome with an eerie sensation of dread. Something was not right. He needed to find Sonic as soon as possible. "Keep going! I will find the King!"

Lancelot hurdled himself through the trees of the forest with great velocity. The sparks of his armor-clad shoes threatened to disintegrate the bushes in flames. His carmine eyes soon caught sight of a cobalt armored hedgehog, and the evil wizard. Said hedgehog was shakily leaning against a tree with Excalibur by his side, head bleeding from the unseen battle. Merlina was clutching her sliced cheek, scarlet blood oozing from the crevices of her fingers. Lancelot could not care less of what became of Merlina, but when he saw the trickle of gore leak from Sonic's fur, he could see nothing but red.

Lancelot pounced and swiftly kicked Merlina from behind. She gasped and fell to the ground. She clutched the grass and scoffed.

"We were just talking about you Sir Lancelot." She forced her body to lift from the ground. "Tell me, have you rightfully claimed the throne as planned?" Lancelot's eyes widened.

 _She would not dare..._

"What do you speak of Merlina?" Lancelot knew what she was trying to do.

"Do not act daft Sir Knight of the Lake, you of all people know what I mean." Lancelot pointed Arondight toward her weak form.

"Your torture upon the kingdom of Camelot has come to an end." Lancelot had been awaiting this day for a long time now. He clutched the handle of Arondight as he stalked toward the cowering maiden. He held the ebony weapon high above his head. Having the honor of taking the Royal Wizard's life was a pleasant gift. Lancelot forced Arondight downward.

"DON'T!" Sonic tackled Lancelot to the ground as he was seconds away from impaling the villain. Lancelot grunted in surprise. Merlina vanished in a cloud of smoke. Lancelot viciously pushed Sonic from on top of him.

"How dare you?! I had her right where I wanted her!" Sonic struggled to stand.

"Killing her is not the right way to stop her." His voice was scratchy and low in volume. Sonic placed a hand on his knee to steady himself.

"You are the most foolish person I know if you think-" All of Lancelot's anger diminished as soon as he focused on Sonic. The azure knight tried to stand but groaned in pain. "Stop, you'll only hurt yourself further." Lancelot went to his knees and returned Arondight to its holster. He removed Sonic's sapphire helm to get a closer look at the injuries he had sustained. "You should have let me kill her. Look at what she has done to you." Sonic smirked.

"I'm fine. I've been through worse." Sonic made a feeble attempt to push Lancelot's hand away.

"Let me help. She has weakened you." Lancelot placed an arm beneath Sonic's side. Together, they lifted themselves from the ground. Sonic closed his eyes as his body became limp. Lancelot placed an arm underneath Sonic's legs and lifted his entire body from the ground. A shrill chime was heard from behind the two hedgehogs. Lancelot turned around to see something glowing in the grass. The dim light gleamed as Lancelot approached it.

It was the purple relic.

* * *

Back at the village, the Knights were analyzing the damage and trying to repair as much of it as possible. Merlina's henchmen were finally defeated.

Lancelot soon emerged from the trees. Percival covered her mouth with her hand and gasped. The other Knights performed similar actions in response to the sight.

"What happened to him?" Percival asked. Tails started to tear up.

"He tried to battle Merlina alone." Lamorak's brow furrowed.

"What is that in your breast plate Sir Lancelot?" said the green hawk as he motioned toward the purple glow peeking out from Lancelot's armor.

"Merlina purposefully left a relic behind, I do not know why though."

"It's a trick Sir Lancelot. We can not just take it." Gawain replied. Lancelot snarled.

"The relic is not important right now! We need to get Sir Sonic to the tavern right away. He is not well." Guinevere nodded and led the way.

* * *

Sonic slowly opened his eyes. He was still quite groggy from his long rest. He was laying down on his guest room bed. His entire body was extremely sore from the previous battle and his head was bandaged tightly.

"I did not expect you to awaken so soon." Lancelot peered through the doorway. A small smile tugged at the corner of Sonic's lips.

"I guess I'm full of surprises." Sonic winced as he tried to lift his body from the bed. Lancelot held up a hand to halt his movement.

"I would not do that if I were you. You have endured enough damage for one day."

"Seriously, I'm fine." Sonic replied.

"No you are not. Would you please listen to me for once?"

"Sure, but my limit is sixty seconds." Lancelot rolled his eyes. Sonic could not see the crude gesture since his visor was lowered.

"How can the people of your time stand to be around you? You are extremely selfish and stubborn." Sonic scratched his ear in thought.

"I actually don't know, but you're one to talk." Lancelot crossed his arms. Sonic pressed his lips together and looked at the brooding Knight sadly. "You can come in ya know. You don't have to stand in the doorway."

"I can not stay long. I must return to the other Knights to prepare a plan for tomorrow's journey." Sonic frowned.

"I wanna help."

"You are in no condition to help. You could barely stand a few hours ago." The room was silent.

"I said you could come inside." Sonic mumbled. Lancelot sighed and walked through the door. He stood beside the bed frame and looked away from Sonic. As much as he hated to admit it, he could not stand to see Sonic this way. It just made his blood boil. The aspiration to murder the looming wizard grew stronger by the second. "I'm sorry if you're mad at me." Lancelot turned to him.

"Why would I be mad?"

"I stopped you from killing Merlina. I know you really wanted to."

"Well you should be. She deserves to die a slow, painful death." He said coyly.

"No one deserves to die Lancelot." It did not go unnoticed that Sonic had called him by his full name.

"Hmph." He replied as he turned his back to the bed.

"I'm also sorry if I made you worry 'bout me." a smiled etched its way to the blue hedgehog's lip.

"Pfft. I was not 'worried' about you at all Sir Sonic. Do not make me laugh..."

"Oh really? You're so convincing Lance." Without warning, Lancelot briskly turned to face Sonic and crouched downward.

"If you ever leave like that again without letting me know of your whereabouts, I promise you, I will personally hurt you myself. Are we clear?" Sonic smiled.

"I thought you didn't care!" He said with a laugh. Sonic raised Lancelot's visor with a shaky hand.

"I don't." Sonic looked away.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Was Merlina telling the truth about the whole revolution thing? Were you planing to kill me or something?" Lancelot made an attempt to lower his visor but Sonic grabbed his hand softly. He did not have to reiterate what he meant. Lancelot already knew where this was heading.

"It was not the full truth. I never wished to harm you, but I did not believe you were fit to be a king. I now know that I was wrong." Sonic smiled. He did not need any further explanation. He believed Lancelot.

"I get it. I didn't think I was ready to do it either." Their almost noses were touching due to their proximity. "Could you do me a favor?"

"It depends." Sonic laughed.

"Tell everyone to come up here. If we're gonna discuss our next plan, we need to do it together."

"A royal advisory in your bed room? That is preposterous and improper, even for you."

"Just do it okay? Aren't I the one in charge here?"

"I believe so. Fine, I will tell them." Lancelot was about to stand when Sonic grabbed his hand. "What is it now Sir Sonic?" The black hedgehog was pulled downward, a shy kiss was planted to his lips.

"Thanks for helping me out back there." Lancelot nodded.

"I was just doing my duty as a Knight."

"Yeah whatever." Lancelot walked down the steps and soon returned with all of the Knights, Guinevere and Tails. They surrounded Sonic's bedside and crouched down. "Now ya see? This is more like it!" The blue hedgehog exclaimed. Galahad could not help but to smile.

"I feel quite silly Your Majesty." He said. Percival smiled as well.

"Do not question Sir Sonic. If he wishes to speak with us here, then so be it." She replied. Although her words were harsh, her delivery was anything but that. Her voice was kind.

"What shall we do now Sir Sonic? Merlina is more powerful than ever." said Gawain. Sonic and Lancelot looked at each other.

"This won't be easy, but I think I have an idea." The Knights of the Round Table listened quietly.


	11. Flowers

**A/N: hey guys! This chapter is pretty interesting and I hope you all enjoy it. Please review! Reviews feed my lonely soul.**

* * *

 **Flowers**

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It was decided. The Knights of the Round Table, led by Sir Sonic of course, will pack their belongings and leave for the quest at midnight. The goal was to raid Merlina's fortress, and take back the relics, which they knew would be close to impossible. This slight detail did not deter the cobalt King of Camelot. It only made him more anxious to leave as soon as possible. He knew that trying to protect the village would only bring more danger to the people. It was clear that everyone would be safer if they destroyed the issue at its source, and that meant that Merlina had to perish one way or the other.

There was no turning back now. Sonic had tried to talk some sense into The Dark Queen, but she showed no hint of remorse during their previous engagement. It hurt him to see someone who he had considered an ally, turn on everything he believed to be true. Her kind and considerate heart had blackened with poison. The Royal Wizard was only doing what she thought was the noble thing to do, but it came at a disturbing price. Sonic knew that Lancelot was right. The only way to stop her would be to kill her on sight. Sonic sighed and cleared the thought away, but it soon returned. Even if he was able to kill her at the very moment, he could never bring himself to do it. It was not right. He was the blue hero of Mobius. Shedding the blood of a troubled girl was not something that he had the capacity to do. One thing that he had learned from all of his adventures is that there was always another way to go about a problem.

Before letting Dr. Eggman take the Master Emerald, Knuckles broke it into shards so that it would not be used for villainous tasks, even if it meant that Angel Island would sink. Blaze used her body as a host to trap the Flames of Disaster to save Silver and the future of Soleanna. The Babylon Rogues teamed up with Sonic and his friends to save the world due to Eggman's foolish mistakes. After being impaled by Mephiles, Princess Elise used her powers to save Sonic, risking the chance that they would never meet again. Sonic did not have to kill Erazor Djinn, nor did Shahra have to die. He trapped the sinister genie back in his lamp and he wished Shahra back to life, even though she had tried to betray him. There was always another way, so this could not be the end... right? Sonic laid down on his back side and closed his eyes. He needed to clear his head.

* * *

After consulting with their king, all of the knights had returned downstairs and Guinevere had begun making dinner. They were sparring just outside of the tavern walls near the back entrance. The other knights sat on a log and watched as Galahad and Lancelot engaged in fierce combat. Lancelot was easily avoiding the ivory hedgehog's attacks. He used Arondight as a shield and quickly guided the battle away from the tavern and deeper into the clearing that they had subconsciously formed. Galahad made an outburst of frustration as he swiped his teal dagger through the air, secretly hoping to scratch his opponent's ebony armor, maybe even fur.

"You are being reckless Sir Galahad." Lancelot grabbed the handle of Arondight and forced its edge into the back of Galahad's neck with sheer strength. The white knight fell to the ground. The piercing sounds of armor pelted the grass below and left wet dirt stains upon Galahad's breastplate and pure fur. Lancelot had placed Arondight back into its holster and extended the palm of his hand to his competitor. His ruby eyes showed pity for the novice of a knight. As quickly as it had appeared, the look was gone. His eyes were now ardent and cold, even though they were the color of flames.

"Hurry and stand Sir Galahad. I do not have all night for you to collect yourself." Galahad took the offered hand and pulled himself up. "It is not all about your attacks. Although they may be important, you must also know how to guard yourself by blocking. A sword is not just for striking, but for protecting."

"Yes Sir Lancelot." He replied. Lancelot silently returned inside the tavern. The snow colored hedgehog looked to the ground and used his telekinesis to place his dagger back into its holster. Galahad was the youngest of the knights, having just turned fourteen years of age. He was quite impressionable, but he had proved to be very strong willed. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, but his naive qualities easily blinded him. Percival noticed Galahad's disappointment and softly smiled.

"Do not be upset. The only one to have ever defeated Lancelot is the true King Arthur himself." Galahad sat beside her on the log. Lamorak and Gawain stood up to spar.

"I will never be good enough Percival. No matter how hard I try, I can never reach Lancelot's standards, nor my own." Percival sharply turned to her friend.

"Do not speak that way. You make yourself sound weak. Lancelot does not tell you these things to hurt you. You will never experience how it feels to be a true knight if you do not understand what you must go through."

"This is not fair. All I do is train and work until my body aches but nothing happens. I do not get any better. What am I doing wrong?" Percival closed her eyes to think. The white hedgehog and the violet feline were the closest of friends. Although both of them were only a year apart, it was not their ages that kept them together. Both of them have experienced severe trials of loneliness and hardships. Percival, being the only female Knight of the Round Table, was easily targeted by the Black Knight. Galahad was never given a true chance to prove himself because the Black Knight felt that he was not worthy. The Guardian of the Grail and the Controller of Storms only had each other to recognize their plights and restore their self confidence. Percival opened her eyes, revealing her blissful and flaxen orbs.

"You are not believing in yourself. That is what you are doing wrong Sir Galahad. You are more powerful than you think and you posses abilities that none of us own. You just have to keep trying. One day you will be stronger than all of us." Galahad smiled at his friend's kind words.

"How do you always know what to say Percival?"

"I am not sure, but I do know how it feels to be in your position." She replied.

"We all do." Gawain chimed in while breathing heavily from the previous sparring. Lamorak raised his visor.

"The Black Knight never gave any of us the time of day, and he never allowed us to show our true potential. Although Sir Sonic is supposed to be the fastest thing alive, he always finds chances to acknowledge us, even if he can be quite daft at times." The green hawk squawked in laughter and Gawain started to laugh as well. Percival cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"We should not speak of the king this way. He has not done anything wrong. He is a kind ruler." Galahad nodded in agreement.

"None of us have died yet. Is that not a good sign?" Gawain and Lamorak joined the two friends on the log.

"Well Lancelot seems to be enjoying his company." Gawain said.

"And he never enjoys anyone's company! I wonder why he spends so much time with Sir Sonic." Galahad commented.

"He just wants to be the king's right-hand-man again. It's a shame really." Lamorak said. Percival scoffed in disapproval.

"That is foolish Sir Lamorak. Sir Lancelot has never treated anyone the way he treats Sir Sonic, not even our previous king. Have you noticed the way they look at each other? It's... strange."

"Lancelot has always been crude, but it is different when he is with Sir Sonic." Gawain spoke while raising his visor.

"I thought that I was the only one to notice." Guinevere appeared beside the doorframe of the back entrance. "Dinner is ready. You all must eat as much as you can before you leave tonight."

The knights uttered their collective "thank you" but remained seated.

"Sir Sonic may be changing Lancelot... but for the better." Percival murmured. Gawain took off his helm.

"Perhaps you're right. Let us eat now. We do not have much time."

* * *

"As I said before, you are in no condition to travel." Lancelot followed behind Sonic as they traveled down the stairs to begin eating.

"Why are you so worried? I'll be fine! I feel much better now after that nap." Sonic hid his wince very well as he sped down the wooden steps.

"Of course. You never cease to surprise me." Lancelot replied sarcastically as he pulled out a chair for Sonic to sit in.

"I can pull out my own seat, thank you very much." He said with a smirk.

"Hmph." The knights started to filter into the dining room and sit down. Tails was already sitting beside Sonic. Lancelot remained standing with his arms crossed.

Sonic started to eat his meal but then turned to notice Lancelot. "Aren't you starving?" Lancelot shook his head.

"I need to finish packing." Sonic groaned and rolled his eyes.

"You should still eat something. You're probably starving." Lancelot smirked at the response.

"If you would like for me to not worry about you so much, then I suggest you do the same." Lancelot walked up the steps and quietly shut the door.

"Drama queen." Sonic muttered and continued to eat. The knights finished their dinner in silence. Sonic set aside some food for Lancelot to have once they left. Everyone gathered their weapons and other personal belongings as quickly as possible. As soon as they gathered in the living room near the front door, Gawain turned to Guinevere.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay with you. We are forever in your debt." Guinevere blushed and turned away.

"You do not need to thank me. It was the least that I could do." Gawain bowed to her.

"You should come with us Lady Guinevere! We could use the assistance." Galahad proclaimed. Guinevere smiled but sadly turned away.

"I have duties here that I need to fulfill but when you stop Merlina, you know where to find me."

The group left the tavern, saying goodbye to the village that served as their temporary home. The fire-lit lamps were dim and the flames crackled and flickered through the night. They were the only signs of a path from the village to the forest.

Tails flew to the front of the group to walk beside Sonic.

"Sir...?" Sonic looked down.

"What's up?"

"Do you remember that young rabbit girl?"

"Cream? I mean... Millicent?" The tangerine kit nodded at the correction.

"Yes."

"Why? Did you think she was cute or something?" He replied with a short laugh. Tails became flushed and shook his head furiously.

"No! I just... I wanted to... um..." Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just messing with you buddy. Yeah, I remember her."

"Do you remember what she said about Merlina?" Sonic's brow furrowed as he tried to think of anything specific that she might have said to him. Nothing that she said stuck out to him, besides the fact that her village was being raided.

"No, not really. What did she say?"

"She said that the her monsters came from a 'black castle in the sky'. That must be where Merlina is hiding." Sonic's eyes widened and he held out his hand to the young blacksmith.

"Nice going!" Tails stared at the outstretched hand. Sonic smiled sheepishly. "It's a high five. Just slap your hand against mine." Tails did as he was told and smiled at the new expression that he had learned.

"So that is our only clue? That she lives in a black castle in the sky?" Lamorak asked.

"It can't be missed. A dark castle that floats seems quite obvious to me." Gawain said.

"Maybe too obvious." Lancelot murmured. No one heard him. Sonic advised the group to pick up the pace as he started to walk faster. They followed him out of the forest and into a large grass plain, filled with an endless amount of roses and daisies. Sonic smiled at the breathtaking sight. There must have been thousands of flowers beneath their armor clad feet. The field reminded Sonic of his human friend Helen and how she loved to pick flowers.

Sonic would push the blonde girl in her wheelchair and pick as many flowers as she wanted. Helen's unfortunate disability made her unable to travel very far distances by herself. Sonic was always willing to take her to wherever she needed to go. The memory made him miss his human friends, and his fellow Mobians. He stopped walking and lowered himself on one knee. He picked a daffodil and inhaled its sweet fragrance. The knights stopped to watch their king. Lancelot stepped forward.

"We have to keep moving. There is no time to pick flowers." He said sternly while raising his visor. Sonic snickered and stood up with the flower in hand. He turned around and placed the daffodil behind Lancelot's ear. The black hedgehog's dark gaze softened as he felt the green stem graze his ear. Sonic continued to walk forward. The group admired the scene and watched Lancelot to see how he would react. The black knight was still and quiet with an unreadable expression upon his face. After realizing that he was being stared at, Lancelot sent the young knights a death glare, making them walk forward once more. He noticed that a few of them were smiling.

Lancelot was bewildered. The kind gesture from Sonic made him shiver and blush. The blue hedgehog awakened such feelings from Lancelot that he had never felt before. It agitated him to extreme measures. What had he done to deserve such affection? Why did it feel so nice? Part of him wanted to question Sonic's behavior but if he did, the blue hedgehog's actions might cease. Lancelot was not sure if that was what he wanted to happen.

He touched the flower with his fingertips but did not remove it from his ear. He lowered his visor and started walking again to catch up to the group.


	12. Intruders

**A/N: Merry Christmas guys! I hope you all had an amazing holiday. My family and I are moving so it's been taking up most of my writing time but that will soon change I promise! Also, please follow Awiszaczarny on here and tumblr! They made a beautiful fan art of a scene from my story and their just awesome! Enjoy!**

 **Intruders**

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Merlina sat upon her impetuous throne of branches and weeds. Her stone cold expression could not reveal her villainous thoughts, but one could only guess her plot. Her variety of creatures had left to do her bidding, so she was alone for a little while. She only wanted them to acquire information on the whereabouts of the foolish hedgehog and his friends. Merlina was very aware of the group and their feelings toward one another. She had known all of them long before they had even thought of her presence.

As the Royal Wizard of Camelot, it was her duty to know the names of the people, and she had happened to learn some slight details about them as well.

Among her vast knowledge of the Knights of the Round Table, she knew that Galahad was extremely close to Percival, she knew that Sir Lamorak was apart of a group of thieves that stole from the wealthy to provide for the poor. The Black Knight saw his talents as something useful and took him in, or rather, _she_ took him in. Hiding behind the face of the Black Knight was a rather boring and pretentious ideal, but it had to be done.

She knew that Gawain and Guinevere had engaged in courtship before she denounced the bat and ruined her reputation.

Merlina was also quite aware of Lancelot and Sonic's interactions.

Nimue, a great enemy of Merlina for quite some time now, had given the two knights amulets that allowed them to secretly communicate with each other. The gems required only emotion to connect with the beholder of the opposite amulet. That was how Lancelot was able to come to Sonic's rescue. Merlina smirked at the thought.

Not only were the Knights unaware of the amulets powers, but they could not even explore their feelings for one another without hesitation! It was comical, yet pitiful all at the same time. How could the two hedgehogs be so blind? When Merlina was battling Sonic before he was empowered with Excalibur, she could practically feel Lancelot's pain and anger toward her for hurting Sonic. He was so focused on the action at hand, that he did not realize the uncomfortable feeling in his chest every time Sonic was struck down.

Lancelot never let his feelings take hold of him. He was the most powerful knight of them all, that is until Sonic came along. Gawain is too hot tempered, Lamorak is stead fast, Galahad is naive, Percival is hesitant and too deeply enthralled when it comes to harsh matters, and Sonic, or Arthur was just... the way he was. Merlina could not care for the fox nor did Nimue pose as a major threat. There was no doubt that Lancelot was their strongest link. Physically hurting both Lancelot and Sonic would not help Merlina. Their anguish must be conquered within something that can not be touched. It had to be in their minds, or better yet, their souls.

Unbeknownst to the cobalt hedgehog, Lancelot did not use his full strength when they first battled. He underestimated Sonic's abilities at the time. It was only during their second encounter did Sonic realize something strange. Merlina scoffed once she remembered their second meeting. A devilish idea came to mind.

* * *

 _"Ugh, not you again!" Sonic rolled his eyes once he saw Lancelot again in the forest. "Back for more huh?" He smirked. Lancelot growled, revealing his sharp, ivory teeth._

 _"Do not sound so smug Knave the Hedgehog. I am aware of your previous endeavors with Gawain and Percival, but know that I will NOT be defeated again." Sonic had already taken Arondight, so Lancelot revealed Draig Goch, a flaming red sword that embodied its dragon name. Sonic flicked the tip of his nose._

 _"New sword I see. I guess I'll have to take this one too."_

 _"I would like to see you try." Bright gleams of crimson chaos energy encircled the weapon. Sonic furrowed his brow and gripped Caliburn._

 _"Defeating him will not be as easy as it was last time. Be ready." Sonic nodded. Red beams of electricity were shot at Sonic. Using his well known speed, he avoided the attacks with concentration._

 _Lancelot and Sonic's swords were constantly connecting in various positions. The chaos energy that surged through Lancelot's body, and sword apparently, made the blood red metal steam from the heat. Soon the hedgehogs were covered in perspiration. Their contrasting fur was damp and slick. This made the battle even more difficult._

 _On opposite sides of the battle ground, both fighters took a breather to compose themselves. Emerald and Ruby orbs met each other with intent, creating even more pressure. They continued to glare at each other while struggling to regain their composure._

 _"Your swordsmanship is not as sloppy as before." Sonic wiped his face._

 _"I'm glad I impress you." Lancelot snarled._

 _"I would not go that far, Knave. You still remind me of a court jester with the way you move." That made Sonic's blood boil. He pounced. Lancelot patiently waited until Sonic was just a few feet away from him. A second before Lancelot's armor was scraped by the edge of Caliburn, he disappeared. Sonic landed and stood upright._

 _He knew this trick._

 _Shadow had done it when they first met in the city. Sonic closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Give him a few seconds. He should be behind you in three..._

 _two..._

 _one._

 _Sonic swung Caliburn around and slammed its handle into Lancelot's head. Lancelot grunted in agony, and surprise. He fell to the ground. The center part of his helm was cracked from the impact._

 _"You will pay for that." Sonic could hear the venom in his words. Lancelot made an effort to stand but the collision with Caliburn made his helm almost impale his skull, nearly rendering him immobile. Lancelot's vision was blurry and his legs wobbled. A slight trace of blood left a nauseating scent. Lancelot fell forward and used Draig Goch to catch his fall by striking it into the soil. Sonic, still reeling from the battle, ran to Lancelot in concern._

 _"Woah! Take it easy!" He slowly placed his hands outward. Lancelot was too weak to protest. He lifted his visor._

 _"How did you know where I would be? No one has ever predicted my chaos control..."_

 _Sonic pondered the question for a moment. How was he to answer?_

 _"You just... remind me of someone. That's all."_

 _"Who are you?" Lancelot asked with confusion and dread. He had never been defeated before, and it happening to him twice in a short period of time was devastating. Sonic straightened his spine with pride._

 _"I'm Sonic... Sonic the Hedgehog."_

 _"It appears that there is more to you than just looking like me... Sonic." Sonic shivered at the way his name was said. Caliburn coughed to get their attention._

 _"Enough stalling. Just take his sword so we can be on our way." Sonic nodded and made a move for Draig Goch. Lancelot clutched his weapon, making Sonic recoil. Not only has he lost his most cherished and prized possession Arondight, but he had to lose his last defense mechanism as well. It is a well known fact that if a knight loses all of their weapons in battle, they are automatically denounced and sent away from the kingdom. He knew that refusing to give up the weapon was considered immoral and he could not break the code. He released his grip on the red sword and Sonic took it away slowly. The cobalt hero frowned._

 _He was depriving Lancelot of everything he held dear. Sonic could not help but see Shadow in Lancelot, since they were pretty much the exact same hedgehog. Sonic turned his back and started to walk away, guilt eating away at his stomach. He halted and gripped the sword until his knuckles ached and his gloves creased. Sonic turned around and put the sword back on the ground. Lancelot looked up._

 _"What... what are you..." Sonic glared at Lancelot and closed his eyes._

 _"You'd do the same for me." Lancelot narrowed his eyes at Sonic._

 _"You are foolish. You do not even know me. What makes you think that I would ever pity you in this manner?" Although his words were poisonous, his tone was calm. He was genuinely confused at Sonic's actions._

 _"I just know."_

* * *

Lancelot and Sonic were now walking side by side in front of the group. Their fingertips brushing against each other almost every time they took a few steps. Sonic wanted to do nothing more than hold the other's hand, but fought the urge. Lancelot, with a flower still behind his ear, ignored the slight contact as to not show his feelings to the other knights.

Without warning, battle cries and sounds of metal upon metal erupted in the trees. This alerted the group and forced them to run toward the sounds with weapons in hand. The dainty flower fell from Lancelot's ear and was trampled mercilessly beneath four sets of sabatons.

Three knights were fighting off a group of Merlina's henchmen. One was a crocodile wielding a spiked flail, a maroon chameleon fighting with two knives, and a small bee wearing an oversized helm, using a dagger as his weapon. Sonic could not contain his laughter. Lancelot gave him a questioning glance.

The three knights, otherwise known as Team Chaotix on Mobius, also existed in the story of King Arthur. "Espio! Vector! Charmy!" Sonic shouted. The knights did not respond to him.

"We must help them Sir Sonic!" Percival said. He nodded and unsheathed Excalibur.

"I thought you had forgotten about me... AGAIN!" Said Excalibur as they ran. Tails flew above the scene and watched as the knights joined the fight.

Shortly after the conjoined battle had begun, Merlina's creatures started to disappear. Soon, they were all gone and the knights were left in the center of the clearing.

"Take that! And this! Be gone you beasts!" Charmy, or whatever he was called in this universe, could not see beyond his large helm, so he swiped his dagger through the air believing the battle was still happening. The large crocodile, who appeared to be in his early twenties, grabbed the small insect.

"Calm yourself squire! The battle is over!" The maroon chameleon raised his helm.

"All thanks to these brave knights before us. How may we repay you for your deeds?" He asked. Sonic dismissed it with the wave of his hand.

"We were just helping out. It's what we do." The small bee chuckled with amusement.

"He talks strange!" The chameleon pushed the bee away.

"Please ignore Sir Merek. He is but a squire and not fully trained. I am Sir Bedivere, and this is Sir Tristan. It is a pleasure to meet you." Sonic took a step forward.

"I'm Sonic. And this-" Lancelot huffed and stood by his side.

"His true name is Arthur, King Arthur." Tristan's eyes widened.

"The King?" He asked. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"I prefer Sonic. This is Lancelot."

"Sir Lancelot! The Knight of the Lake!? It truly is an honor your lordship!" Sir Tristan, also known as Vector, said. The corners of Lancelot's lips turned up at the compliment. Sonic nudged Lancelot in the arm jokingly.

"I guess you're more famous than me." Lancelot smirked.

"I believe so." Sonic turned back to Sir Bedivere to find the trio bowing to them. Sonic cringed.

"Please don't bow... I'm not really a king!" Tristan looked up confused.

"You're not?" Lancelot pushed Sonic's visor down.

"Hey! It's dark in here!" The blue hedgehog exclaimed.

"He is the king, although his title is still new." Sonic lifted his visor and pouted at Lancelot.

"And these are my friends. Percival, Tails, Galahad, Gawain, and Lamorak." Sonic smiled at the remembrance of their names. He just hoped that he pronounced them all correctly.

"It is an honor Your Majesty." Bedivere replied. Sonic snarled at the title. "May I ask why you are traveling at such a late hour?"

"We are searching for the Royal Wizard Merlina." Galahad responded.

"Would you happen to know of her whereabouts? You _were_ just battling her creatures." Gawain asked. Sir Merek, or Charmy, scratched his head.

"Those were her monsters? They had appeared just outside of our village so we fought them off!"

"That is very noble of you all. Are you certified Knights?" Percival asked. Bedivere and Tristan laughed sheepishly.

"Well, not exactly. We were supposed to be crowned by the Black Knight at the annual ceremony of his reign, but he just disappeared!"

"I am afraid that you all were tricked." Lamorak said.

"Merlina had conjured up the Black Knight as a ploy to make the kingdom eternal."

"Well, that explains a lot."

"Oh Sir Tristan! Can the Knights come with us and visit our village?! Please?!" Lancelot shook his head.

"I do not wish to displease you squire, but we are not interested in formalities. We must keep-"

"Sounds great! I don't mind catching a few z's." Sonic cut across Lancelot's sentence.

"Then it's settled! Follow us." The knights started to follow their new comrades. Lancelot grabbed Sonic's arm and pulled him to the side.

"You can not be serious."

"What? It'll only be for a day or two, and then we'll keep going."

"Sonic we have already stopped more than enough times now. The more we wait, the stronger Merlina gets."

"I agree with Lancelot!" Excalibur exclaimed. Sonic's mouth was agape with annoyance.

"Who asked you?" Sonic started to place Excalibur back into his holster.

"Don't you put me back in-" Excalibur's shouts were muffled by the sapphire metal that hid his form.

"Look, I get what you're saying, but I'm sick of sleeping on dirt and eating food out of jars. Merlina is already powerful. How much stronger could she get? You stopped her from hurting me before, not that I needed it."

"That is because you are my king and I must protect you at all costs." Sonic smirked.

"Oh yeah? Then prove it." Lancelot growled and raised his visor. He placed his cold, metal hands on the side of Sonic's face and kissed him roughly on the lips. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before they parted and Lancelot lowered his visor. Sonic was blushing profusely and his eyes were wide.

"There, point proven. Can we go now?" Sonic was rendered speechless. He smiled and looked away. Lancelot was also blushing beneath his onyx mask. He could not help but think that Sonic looked quite adorable when he smiled shyly like that. He shook the thought away. Adorable? Knights do not speak of such descriptions.

"Yeah, we can go. But you gotta hold my hand this time." Lancelot's brow furrowed.

"The others will see us." Sonic shrugged his shoulders and scoffed.

"Um... Are we supposed to care? I thought a knight didn't need approval." Lancelot crossed his arms defiantly.

"I do not care what anyone thinks of me."

"Then you won't care if they see us together. They're bound to find out... right?"

"I suppose." Sonic grabbed his hand and smiled. "C'mon, they're probably wondering where we are." Lancelot nodded. All of a sudden, an inky cloud of smoke appeared. A strong, dark force pushed the two hedgehogs away from each other. Lancelot opened his eyes to see Sonic reaching for him desperately. His hand clawing at the air and his jade eyes watering.

"LANCE! HELP ME!"

"SONIC!" Lancelot unsheathed Arondight. A pair of yellow eyes stared at him in Sonic's place. "Let him go!" Lancelot jumped forward to kill whatever had Sonic but he screamed in anguish as his stomach twisted in knots, and the oxygen was kicked out of him. His vision started to dissipate and his lids became droopy. All he could see was a tall, female figure standing above him. She was smiling.


	13. Fall Into Me

**A/N: OMG So sorry guys! I'm back officially! Thank you all for sticking around! I including a flash back to the awesome episode "So Long Sonic" of sonic x when shadow punches sonic in space. This scene made me hate shadow for so long. I thought he was a total jerk! But when I thought about it. He pretty much risked his life for sonic. Totally sonadow, clearly. I hope you enjoy my new twist. I will no longer be taking such long breaks!**

* * *

 **Fall Into Me**

 **•**

 **•**

 **•**

 _Sonic did not expect it at all, he was too focused on the attack from the Metarex to even comprehend what was happening. Shadow flew forward with his fist clenched, slamming it right into Sonic's stomach. The blue blur screamed and recoiled in pain. "HOLD ON SHADOW!" He could barely screech. The punch left him winded. He grasped Shadow's now golden fur, barely hanging_ _on to his consciousness. Sonic started to drift off from the cheap blow. Shadow proceeded to take off his inhibitors with a malice smirk._

 _"Sorry friend, but I'm taking over. After all, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, now would we?" Sonic screamed as he plundered past the stars. It was hard for Shadow to hide his guilt, but he had succeeded. No one had suspected how he felt. "CHAOS CONTROL!" The impenetrable force field against Planet Egg was immediately destroyed._

 _Cream started to cry. "Why would Mr. Shadow do such a thing?!" Amy shushed Cream lovingly and tried to distract her from the dark scene on the other side of the glass. All that could be seen was white, and the dark hedgehog was just... gone. Rouge's turquoise eyes widened._

 _"He... he used chaos control... and now he is gone." Eggman sighed._

 _"There was no way he could have survived that amount of energy, not this time." The metal door slid open behind them all, revealing Knuckles, carrying Sonic within his arms._

 _"He needs medical attention, now." Sonic groaned and clenched his gloved fist, beckoning Knuckles to halt._

 _"T-Tails..." He murmured. Tails ran to him._

 _"Sonic... What's wrong?" Sonic rose his trembling hand and grabbed Tails by the wrist. With all of his might, he placed a small seed into the hand of the orange fox. Tails started to sob._

 _"Cosmo...?" He clutched the seed in his hand, allowing his tears to water the poor seed. Everyone felt immense pity for the young kit, even their arch nemesis Eggman. "She... She was my friend... Why would she do this to me?" Tails knew that he was being selfish, she had risked her life to save all of them, but why did she have to leave him? Although Sonic acted as his brother and he had a great amount of close friends, he related to Cosmo so much. He would do anything to protect the seedling. He loved her._

 _Tails' body was wracked with sobs and sadness. The room could have drowned in his tears, and that is how it felt. Everyone was suffocated by his sadness, each second it got harder to breathe. No one dared to even speak._

 _Suddenly, a large crash was heard from outside of the ship. Everyone became alarmed as red warning lights started to flash within the control room. Eggman caught his breath._

 _"Something is caught within our rafters. Bokkun!" He called for the small assistant._

 _"What?!"_

 _"Go check the damage! Now!" The lazy creature sighed and flew out of the door using his forest green jet pack. He flew in circles around the ship, not noticing a single thing. His eyes caught a drifting gray cloud of smoke coming from a particular part of the space craft. Through the smoke, Bokkun could make out a small black figure rested in a deep crease within the ship. He placed his finger to his chin and flew closer._

 _"What is that?" He asked to himself. As he got closer, a churning feeling in his stomach became evident. "DOCTOR EGGMAN!"_

* * *

 _Sonic awoke from the hospital bed. His emerald orbs lacked in their usual glow, and his body felt tired. Wires poured from particular spots in his arms and legs, feeding him vital nutrients to his body. He groaned as he lifted the upper half of his body from the bed. His body felt massive against the pressure of his agony. As soon as he did so, the memories had started to flood back to him like a tsunami._

 _The Metarex were finally defeated, he became Super with the chaos emeralds to help stop them and... they lost Cosmo._

 _Sonic sighed._

 _He could only imagine the sort of pain his younger brother was going through at the moment. It hurt him to even think of it. The gorgeous seedling had touched all of their hearts, even Shadow's. Sonic's body stiffened._

 _Shadow the Hedgehog..._

 _He did this._

 _Sonic was never the one to hold a grudge, but Shadow had sent him hurdling through space, and for what? Revenge? To get credit for saving everyone? To make himself look like the hero? To give Sonic one final blow before he disappeared? Sonic growled in anger. Rage palpitated throughout his body. After all that they had been through, how could the black hedgehog do this? Again? Sonic removed the transparent chords from his body and pushed himself to his feet. He walked to the door and scanned the halls._

 _He was looking for something or rather someone, he just wasn't sure who yet, but he had a pretty decent idea. Suddenly, a familiar voice caught his attention. The person speaking sounded stressed. Their footwear must have been made of steel or a similar material since clanking sounds against the metal of the ship started to emanate through the halls. Sonic quickened the pace. Once he saw midnight quills streaked with Crimson down the hall, his vision went blurry and his vivid cobalt colored pelt turned to a dark, avaricious blue._

 _He ran forward, tackling the victim to the ground. He sent violent punches downward, striking the unsuspecting hedgehog. Of course, Shadow the Hedgehog was his victim, trying to block the punches being sent to his skull with all of his might but he felt as if he had no right. Shadow deserved every punch. He stopped trying to protect himself and let Sonic swing._

 _"HOW COULD YOU?! AFTER ALL WE DID FOR YOU!" Sonic was screaming at the top of his lungs. A lot of what he was saying was incoherent. He had totally lost it. Shadow could not blame the azure creature for his rage. He feebly grabbed Sonic's wrist to stop him from fighting._

 _"Sonic stop! I was trying to protect you!" He tried to shout, but Sonic was not listening this time._

 _"I MADE EVERYONE TRUST YOU AGAIN AND LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Sonic punched Shadow in the stomach as he had did in space, seeking the so craved revenge and enjoying it as well. The ebony hedgehog became winded and struggled to breathe. He choked on the air that was not entering his lungs quick enough. Of course, he deserved that too._

 _He turned to his side gasping for air. If this was how Sonic had felt in space, then he knew what he did was just cruel. What Sonic did not realize was that Shadow was trying to save him, while keeping up his façade. He wanted to sacrifice himself, rather than have Sonic do the same. It would be hard to live knowing that someone else died when he could have done something to stop it. Also unbeknownst to the cobalt hero, Shadow was constantly reminded of Maria because of him. Sonic was just like Maria. Kind, dedicated, loving, honest, and pure. He refused to lose that again. He believed that no one would miss his evil soul. Shadow knew deep down that Sonic's friends would rather have him die, than the beloved hero._

 _Knuckles ran down the halls after hearing the ruckus and constant pounding of fist to fur._

 _"Sonic! Let him go!" Knuckles reached for Sonic but almost received a blow to the eye. Shadow started to gain dizziness from the hits. His vision became blurred, and his face felt wet from the blood and bruises that were soon to come. His body started to convulse from the violent punches. His grips on Sonic's wrists weakened and his arms fell to the ground, allowing the punches to flow even more freely than before. It was a miracle that he was still awake. Knuckles knew he had to do something. If Sonic kept this up, he would surely beat the black hedgehog into oblivion. The red echidna ducked forward and grabbed Sonic from the waist and quickly pulled him away while he kicked and screamed._

 _"I BELIEVED IN YOU! I WANTED TO BE THE ONE TO GO! NOT YOU!" Sonic could not help it. He started to cry. His eyes resembled faucets as tears streamed down his peach muzzle, causing the fur to stick up at different angles. He truly cared for Shadow. That one punch in space, as truthful and sincere as it was supposed to be, hurt Sonic more than anything. He trusted Shadow. When everyone else thought of him as a trader, Sonic convinced them to give the hedgehog just one more chance. Shadow had now ruined it and earning Sonic's trust back, was difficult to say the least._

 _Shadow closed his eyes, he wanted to surrender to the agony inflicted upon his body. Every scar, every bruise, he welcomed with open arms. Sonic would never know how he truly felt, and he did not want him to._

 _Foolish Sonic... I did this for you._

* * *

Lancelot groggily opened his eyes. He groaned in pain as he tried to move. He reached to grab Arondight from his holster but his hand was stopped by a sharp ringing sound. Clamped around his wrists were metal rings connected by chains to the cold, cobblestone ground. His ankles were also bound to the wall behind him. Not only that, but Arondight was no where to be found. Once he realized that he had been captured, a new found energy within him had awakened. He growled fiercely as he violently shook to break his connection to the chains. Veins started to protrude from his head and arms. Parts of his armor were cracked from some previous battle he had engaged in.

He resorted to using his chaos abilities, but the chains just absorbed the energy and shocked him. The pain pulsated through his body, making the armor clank against his ebony fur and skin.

 _This must be some sort of dark magic..._ he thought.

"SOMEONE! ANYONE!" He shouted to see if he was alone. The only response he received was the echo of his own, gravelly voice. This went on for what seemed like centuries, him screaming this way. His voice soon became hoarse. Lancelot swore he almost tasted blood in the back of his throat from the screaming. He stomped his feet to the ground in a sheepish attempt to break the chains from his ankles. He had realized that this clearly would not work but a true knight would never give up that easily.

He paused for a moment, taking in his surroundings.

His "prison" was extremely dark. The unnerving stone walls were embedded with dim crystals of different colors. There was a wooden castle-like entry directly in front of the knight, chains connecting the top of the door to the ground. There was an open window behind Lancelot, sending in a machiavellian wind and the lights of the stars. The knight tried to envision how he ended up in this place.

He remembered being in the forest with Sonic. They were talking, then all of a sudden he could hear the cobalt hedgehog screaming for help. He could remember seeing an outstretched, peach arm reaching out to him for help. An inky cloud of smoke made it formidable to intake any air. And then... it all went black.

"Is that all the power you can muster? Oh, Great Knight of the Lake."

Lancelot turned his head sharply to the direction of the sound. "Who is there?!" He asked profoundly. A snicker was heard beneath the shadows of the void space. "Face me now or I swear-"

"Or you what? You will strike me without your two swords? There is no way for you to escape this place." Yellow orbs glowed a few feet away in a corner of the room. Lancelot could not help but shiver. His capturer had been here this entire time, watching him struggle to no avail. Merlina stepped forward, revealing her sickly, pale form. The ill-intentioned magic had made her soul more powerful, but her physical body weak and frail. Her skin was now gray. The elegant markings upon her pretty face had started to fade and her cheeks were slightly sunken in. Her wrists were just bone and her walk was slow. Her features still held some of the traces of beauty she once had, but they were disappearing, and time was of the essence. It seemed like she would almost turn to dust the second she took another step. Lancelot cringed at the horrid sight.

Her desire for power was literally _eating her alive_.

"How DARE you trap me here in such a manner. You will regret this once I break free." Lancelot's raging blood colored eyes did strike slight fear into the witch, but she played it off like it was nothing. The moment he sensed her fear, he could go in for the kill. Merlina scoffed. He was bound in chains by her spell. He would not be able to break free without assistance, which is precisely what she was hoping for.

"You are not in control here Sir Lancelot. Now, I will give you a chance to save yourself, and your friends." Merlina opened the palm of her hand to reveal a small orb of light. The light grew bigger and brighter as it outstretched into a whirlpool of vision. In the pool of light, he could see Sonic talking to the other knights about something urgent, probably his disappearance. "Tell me exactly where your beloved King is and where he hid the relics. I know that you have three of them." Lancelot began to play coy.

"I am unaware of what you speak of, My Lady, and even if was, why would I tell you anything?" Merlina gritted her teeth.

"You can not win this game Sir Lancelot. I have already won." Merlina raised a finger and the chains started to shock Lancelot. He grunted in distress due to the torture.

"You actually believe that this will be the end of me? Your spells can do nothing to harm me. No matter how many times you try, I refuse to tell you a single thing." Merlina smiled creepily. The pool of light became red and it started to swirl. Lancelot squinted his eyes to see the new vision within the light. He caught his breath when his eyes were set on the most gruesome of sights.

It was Sonic, his azure pelt and sapphire armor were both covered in thick blood. It was his own. Excalibur was broken in two and tossed to the side. The blue hedgehog had been stabbed to death and he just laid there, coiled up in his own fluid. Lancelot started to tremble and became nauseous at the vivid murder. The scene widened, revealing a dark figure that loomed over the dead King. Lancelot leaned forward with dread and anticipation. Who had dared to kill the newfound King?

"I can make you tell me whatever I want..." Merlina cooed. The vision within the pool became clear. Lancelot's eyes widened.

 _No... It can't be..._

The King's killer was none other than the dark hedgehog himself, with the King's crown upon his head.

* * *

Sonic ran back to his fellow Knights. "PERCIVAL! GAWAIN! I NEED HELP!" The Knights were soon by his side, including their new comrades Sir Merek, Tristan, and Bedivere.

"Sir Sonic, where is Sir Lancelot?" Percival questioned. Sonic looked frantic and shaken.

"Merlina... She got him... She got Lancelot." There was a dark sense of panic and fear amongst the entire group.

"I could only imagine what she will do to him... We have to get to that kingdom, and fast!" Galahad said. Sir Bedivere stepped forward.

"My Liege, I know that we are not officially Knights, but I know that we can be of assistance." Sir Lamorak scowled.

"And how do we know of this for sure?" He questioned the three knights.

"We can not just hand over our trust to strangers. That is now we will end up with our own swords in our backs." claimed Gawain. The chameleon knight reached behind his back and extracted a green gem of some kind. The other Knights gasped.

It was a relic.


	14. Helpless

**A/N: OMG I got two of the most amazing reviews in the whole world! Thank you CHEESECAKE TEA and Well I think? For CHEESECAKE TEA, this is based off of the sonic game Sonic and the Black Knight. If you get the chance, buy it and try it out. It's really good! It's also based off of the round table and all of that but I took this from the game. Also, Merlina doesn't know exactly where sonic and co are, but she has some idea. She's trying to kill two birds with one stone by hurting Lancelot if he refuses to tell her. Again, she asked him where they were because she doesn't know EXACTLY where they are. I'm happy to answer any more questions! Please enjoy! Also here's a new key:**

 **Arthur: Sonic**

 **Lancelot: Shadow**

 **Percival: Blaze**

 **Gawain: Knuckles**

 **Lamorak: Jet**

 **Galahad: Silver**

 **Bedivere: Espio**

 **Merek: Charmy**

 **Tristan: Vector**

 **Guinevere: Rouge**

 **Nimue: Amy**

 **There are many more characters to come! Including a special surprise... Stay tuned!**

* * *

 **Helpless**

•

•

•

"If you do not mind Sir Sonic, I would like to clarify." Sonic nodded.

"Okay."

"We are going to raid Merlina's fortress, steal the relics, and then save Sir Lancelot?" Sonic shook his head in disapproval at the viridescent hawk.

"No, we're going to save Lance first, and then take back the relics." Galahad sighed in nervousness.

"But Sir, did you see what she did to that village? And that poor rabbit girl and her mother, we do not stand a chance against Merlina and her knights without Sir Lancelot!" Sonic pressed his lips together in thought. It was quite easy to see how much the ivory hedgehog looked up to Lancelot. He was so young and impressionable. Sonic walked up to Galahad, also known as Silver in his own world.

"As helpful as it would be to have him here, you and the rest of us are just as strong. We do not need him to fight our battles for us. We can do it, especially you Silver." Galahad raised a brow.

"Silver?" Sonic's eyes widened.

"Um... G-Galahad... my bad." Galahad smiled and nodded. The group of knights had retreated back to the "Chaotix" home. Sir Bedivere, Sir Tristan, and Sir Merek the Younger were sitting at a wooden table in the living area with the relics in front of them. Sir Tristan placed his index finger by one of his teeth.

"So, there are seven relics, and we have four now?" Percival nodded.

"Yes. We have the red, yellow, purple, and now the green relic." Sir Bedivere grabbed one of the relics for closer inspection.

"These should not have been so easy to find."

"We suspected foul play the minute the purple relic was found in the woods, unguarded." said Sir Gawain. Sir Merek bobbed his head up and down with excitement.

"That DOES sound really suspicious..." He cooed while flying in the air. Sir Tristan pushed him away.

"We can head out in the morning." Sonic shook his head once again in disdain.

"No. We can't wait. We need to find him as soon as possible."

"I mean no disrespect Sir, but that is probably what Merlina wants. It is just another trap to lure us into her presence and then kill us all." said Sir Bedivere. Sonic closed his eyes and gave an aggravated sigh.

"If we waste any more time he could die. We'll have to take our chances but I need you all to trust me on this one." Sir Gawain walked to the center of the group.

"Sir Sonic, this should not be up for debate. If we even think about not getting rest before we try to defeat her, than our whole journey will be for nothing!" Sonic turned away from everyone. One one hand, he knew that Gawain was right, which is funny because Knuckles is rarely ever right. The red echidna usually thinks with his fists and not at all his brain. But on the other hand, Lancelot could be dead soon. Sonic was torn. He refused to lead his knights into a massacre and as hard as it seems, it is a better decision to save more lives than one, even if that one life means something to you that you can't really explain. He just had to trust that Lancelot was still alive and would not go out without a strong fight.

"Okay. Let's get ready to head out in the morning."

* * *

Lancelot struggled to not fall asleep, not that this was any real ordeal. Not only was his position extremely uncomfortable, but he could not forget that gruesome image that Merlina had shown him. He had no reason to sleep. He needed to be conscious.

But, how could he take Sonic's life?

He had to admit, it was something that he had tried before, but his thoughts on the azure hedgehog had changed. It was clearly out of character for him to try something like that now. He must have been under some spell that Merlina had cast upon him. Lancelot scanned the room for the hundredth time. The chains on his wrist had shocked him many times after trying to use his chaos energy, so the fur around his wrists started to become bare. He grunted and leaned his head back against the wall.

Nothing made any sense. At first, it had appeared as if Sonic was the one being captured, but now he was the one in confinement.

 _Probably just another illusion from Merlina's magic..._

Without warning, the charm around Lancelot's neck started to glow. He looked down at it. He sat up straight. It would only glow when Sonic was near. What was happening? Were the Knights in danger?

 _Lancelot... Lancelot is that you...?_

Lancelot leaned forward at the sound of that voice. It was Sonic. He was communicating with him through his amulet.

"Yes... Yes I'm here. Sonic? How are you speaking to me...?"

 _To be honest, I actually have no clue. But that's not important! Where are you?_

"I believe Merlina has trapped me in her fortress. I am in some kind of cell."

 _Don't worry. We are on our way to get you out of there. You just have to hold on._

Lancelot looked away. If Merlina's vision was true, then Sonic and the Knights could be in grave danger. He needed them to stay put until he escaped himself.

"Sonic, I need you to listen to me. Stay where you are. You and the others are safer away from here. Merlina has gotten stronger than I had anticipated. You will not be able to free me. Trust me, if you could, I would already be out by myself." Lancelot could hear Sonic scoff.

 _Jeez, you don't have to be so... brave. I got you into this and it's my job to break you out. We will stop her._

Lancelot sighed.

"It is not like I will be able to stop you." Sonic laughed.

 _You know me so well. It's kinda weird. Although you're annoying and a little mean, it's pretty sad without you here..._

"You need to make yourself more clear when you speak. Either that is an insult or a compliment."

 _It's... both. I guess. Um... Lance?_

"Just because we are engaged in a courtship does not mean that you can disobey my orders. Stop. Calling. Me. That." Sonic ignored him and continued to talk.

 _I'm so sorry... I don't know what happened in the forest. I could've saved you but... It felt like I was... stuck or something._

"It was not your doing. It was an illusion set on by Merlina. I thought you were the one being captured. That is why I put myself in this place."

 _Please don't blame yourself. Like I said it's my fault. Can't you see I'm trying to apologize?_

"Well then you should not blame yourself either." It was almost as if Lancelot could hear Sonic roll his eyes.

 _No matter what happens, just know that I won't stop until we get you back..._

"I know. That is what I am worried about." The amulet started to flicker and then the light went out. Lancelot took off his helm. Why was Sonic such a fool? Even though Lancelot believed himself to be the ultimate knight, he did not have the heart to tell him what Merlina was planning to do. He could not bring himself to scare Sonic in such a way that could cause their paths to never cross. He then thought of everything that has happened in the past few days. Sonic was planning to leave anyway, meaning that once this was all over, he would go back home. Lancelot closed his eyes.

It did not matter.

Lancelot was fine before Sonic arrived, and he would be fine once he left. He was just another king...

Lancelot leaned his head back, knowing that his thoughts were untrue.

* * *

Sonic clutched the amulet in his palm and then set it down on the dresser next to his bed. This whole thing was just getting stranger and stranger. The blue hedgehog was about to go to sleep when all of a sudden, his amulet started to glow from the night stand. The sound of chains and shuffling could be heard. He picked up the jewel and held it close to his ear. He could almost hear someone breathing...?

The breaths were deep and shallow. Sonic thought back to the time when him and Lancelot were close to each other. Their amulets started to glow just like now. Wait, Lancelot!

"Lancelot... Lancelot is that you...?" Sonic could hear the chains stop moving.

 _Yes... Yes I'm here. Sonic? How are you speaking to me...?_

"To be honest, I actually have no clue. But that's not important! Where are you?"

 _I believe Merlina has trapped me in her fortress. I am in some kind of cell._

Sonic gritted his teeth. "Don't worry. We are on our way to get you out of there. You just have to hold on."

Although things were starting to look up, Sonic had a sense of grief in the pit of his stomach. Lancelot's voice was more gravelly than usual. It seemed hoarse as if he had been screaming. Was Merlina... torturing him?

 _Sonic, I need you to listen to me. Stay where you are. You and the others are safer away from here. Merlina has gotten stronger than I had anticipated. You will not be able to free me. Trust me, if you could, I would already be out by myself._

Sonic scoffed. Who was Lancelot trying to front? "Jeez, you don't have to be so... brave. I got you into this and it's my job to break you out. We will stop her." Sonic heard Lancelot sigh.

 _It is not like I will be able to stop you._

Sonic laughed. "You know me so well. It's kinda weird. Although you're annoying and a little mean, it's pretty sad without you here..."

 _You need to make yourself more clear when you speak. Either that is an insult or a compliment._

"It's... both. I guess. Um... Lance?"

 _Just because we are engaged in a courtship does not mean that you can disobey my orders. Stop. Calling. Me. That._

Not phased by Lancelot's attitude, Sonic continued on. "I'm so sorry... I don't know what happened in the forest. I could've saved you but... It felt like I was... stuck or something." Sonic closed his eyes. It was the whole ARK situation all over again. Sonic tried desperately to save Shadow, but his hand slipped through his inhibitor rings, allowing him to plummet through space and burn in Earth's atmosphere. He just couldn't go through that, not again.

 _It was not your doing. It was an illusion set on by Merlina. I thought you were the one being captured. That is why I put myself in this place._

Sonic became slightly aggravated at the ebony hedgehog's compassion, something that he rarely allows to show. He didn't deserve to take the fall for this. "Please don't blame yourself. Like I said it's my fault. Can't you see I'm trying to apologize?"

 _Well then you should not blame yourself either._

Sonic rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"No matter what happens, just know that I won't stop until we get you back..."

 _I know. That is what I am worried about._

The amulet's glow faded into nothing. Sonic laid back and stared at the bland ceiling. It took him all of five minutes before he sat up again.

"I'm sorry guys... But I can't do this." Sonic said to himself. He grabbed the silent Excalibur from the corner. The sword opened its eyes, being very aware of what was about to happen.

"Sir Sonic, you know that I have no power over you, but are you sure that this is what you want to do?" Sonic bit his lip.

"Something isn't right here. Lancelot warned me not come for him. He needs help and the others were right. Merlina is expecting all of us to burst in and save him. She won't see me coming, well, not alone at least. I don't want them to get hurt."

"Do you really think you can face her alone? In such an emotional state?" Sonic became defensive.

"I am not emotional. I'm just... worried. I can't just sit here and do nothing while Lancelot rots in some prison." Excalibur became quiet. Sonic put his armor back on and snuck out of his bedroom.

Once he made it downstairs, he found a sheet of parchment and a writing utensil. He wrote something down and sped out the door. On the parchment was something written in small letters:

 _I'm so sorry you guys. I know you'll be worried about me, but don't be. I'll be fine. Something just isn't right here and I can't put you all in anymore danger. I need to figure out what Merlina is up to and it doesn't sit well with me that Lancelot is trapped while we sleep. I know you all will probably come after me, which I can't stop but please, be careful._

 _Your "King", Sonic._

 _P.S. I still don't want you guys calling me king. So don't!_


	15. Guilt

**A/N: omg you guys the amount of love that I've received from writing this fic is so overwhelming. Thank you all so much for helping me along this journey. It truly means the world to me that the readers of this fic have actually stuck around. Enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Guilt**

 **•**

 **•**

 **•**

It was almost like a give and take. Sonic ran while Excalibur said nothing. From the beginning, Excalibur could not stand the cobalt hero, but he had felt something within the hedgehog. Something so powerful, something so... agreeable within the way he held him, the way he fought with such bravery, his passion for justice. So much so that Excalibur felt like Sonic was the correct choice to be the wielder of the sword. At this exact moment though, something was just off.

Whenever Sonic and Excalibur spoke to each other, it was rarely a pleasant interaction. So as to not bother the troubled hero, Excalibur kept quiet.

Sonic did not feel like putting the weapon back into his sapphire holster. The feeling of company was quite blissful. The spirits of the wind flowed through Sonic's sharp quills, making this dreadful adventure a little calming. And yet the vehement silence tore at Sonic's very core. Excalibur claimed to have known what was to come. Did Sonic really need to explain himself any further? Why did he feel the need to converse?

The blue hero's breaths were steadily paced. Excalibur picked up on the caustic awkwardness and decided to speak.

"Sir Sonic, do you have a plan?" Sonic sighed.

"No." Excalibur rolled his eyes. For someone who never stopped talking, Sonic resorted to one word responses, which agitated the ancient piece of weaponry.

"I do not think that you need me to tell you how unwise that is."

"Excalibur, haven't you known me long enough? I just go with the flow."

"'Going with the flow' will get you killed." Sonic skidded to a stop by placing his heels to the gritty pathway.

"Excalibur? I just know in my heart that this is the right choice, but something is telling me that it could be a mistake." Excalibur took a moment to ponder what Sonic had said. He looked into the emerald eyes of the hero. He seemed timid, unlike any expression he had ever seen from him before.

"You are usually so sure of yourself. Why is this any different?"

"Because the life of the person that I really care about is on the line." Sonic thought back to some of his previous endeavors. When Elise had died aboard Eggman's battle ship, the pain was insatiable. Sonic could not help but collapse to his knees and pound his fist to the ground in anguish. He had failed the princess. He allowed an innocent life to be lost. His speed was just not enough. When Shadow fell from space, the pull of gravity ripping at his flesh and fur, Sonic could do nothing but watch. He refused to let the same things happen to him again. This time, his speed would be more than enough. Excalibur looked away.

"In a situation like this, there is no right or wrong decision. Some choices are better than others, but in this instance, all of your options have positive and negative outcomes." Sonic's brow furrowed.

"Do you mind just telling me straight out instead of being all... cryptic about it?"

"There is a reason why you chose this path. Continue to take it, and see what happens." Sonic smiled.

"Heh... thanks."

"Do not thank me. Just keep going and stop bothering me. If this is my last battle then I would like to contemplate my life without you blabbering about like a fool."

"Awww come on! You know you love me at least a little by now!" Excalibur smiled.

"Maybe so, but still, you need to be on the lookout."

"Ok... Whatever you say."

* * *

"What?!" Sir Gawain and the others had awoken from their slumber after the young blacksmith had shouted for them to come downstairs.

"He wrote it down right here! He left without us to go save Lancelot... alone." The tangerine kitsune said. Sir Galahad shook his head in disbelief.

"I can not believe this. Why would he just leave like that?"

"He is being selfish! He is probably trying to gain attention and look like the hero." said Sir Gawain. Sir Lamorak nodded in agreement. Sir Percival remained silent with her arms crossed. Tails frowned.

"Can you not see?! He is trying to be noble and protect us! This was not done out of spite or pride." Sir Tristan, and Merek the Younger soon joined the group.

"Why is there so much commotion!?" Sir Tristan asked in his booming voice. Soon the note started to float in mid air. Everyone gasped and backed away from the table.

"Oh. My apologies." It was Sir Bedivere who had grabbed the small note. He returned to his visible form and scanned the words quickly. "I see. Well it appears that we have been abandoned." Tails shook his head and snatched the note away.

"The King would never do something like that! He is compassionate and truthful. I believe that he only had good intentions in mind." Sir Percival finally decided to speak.

"How do you know that Blacksmith? For all you know, he could be a traitor. How long have you gotten to know him? Only a few days." Sir Galahad turned to her.

"Percival, you of all people should believe that the King is still on our side. He saved you from death! How can you doubt him now?" Percival's golden eyes turned dark. It looked as if she were about to send a rude retort to the ivory knight, but she bit her tongue and looked away.

"You all are a couple of fools if you think that Sir Sonic did this for a good reason. We were all in this together and he has abandoned us to complete the mission alone, which means that we are no longer needed." Lamorak said as he stood. "If you feel as though he is still the hero you claim him to be, then you can go after him. I am returning back to the castle and gathering my belongings." The room became silent. Sir Gawain walked to the viridescent hawk and stood firmly by his side, as to claim his position for all to see.

"Now hold on a minute! You all have been traveling for days now. You have come so far. You can not give up now!" said Sir Tristan.

"What about the evil witch?! She will win if we do not work together!" said Sir Merek with exuberance. The Knights looked upon the childish insect with pity.

"This is not a game. Sir Sonic has made his bed, now he must lay in it." Sir Gawain walked up the stairs, followed by Sir Lamorak. Sir Percival sighed and turned to leave as well. Galahad ran to her and placed a shaky hand upon her armor clad shoulder.

"Percival, you know that this is not right. Sir Sonic needs us now, more than ever. We can not just stay here and let him go alone." Percival turned around. A look of utter sorrow grazed her captivating features.

"This is not our fight anymore." And with that, she walked up the wooden steps. Her sharp sabaton heels made each stair creak. Galahad stared at the empty space before him, as if the violet feline had never left him. He looked down. Sir Bedivere stepped forward.

"We will not give up that easily. We will go with you if you choose to pursue the king."

"Sir Bedivere is correct! We will not leave your side... as long as you reward us of course." Sir Tristan said. The Blacksmith and Sir Galahad stared at the crocodile with question.

"A reward? You mean like payment in gold?" The fox asked.

"I am so sorry, but our past King has had the treasury locked for ages. Only Sir Lancelot knows where the key is and I am afraid he is in dire need of rescue." The pearl hedgehog said.

"Gold?! Shiny!" Sir Merek sang.

"As promising as that sounds, we have something else in mind." The crocodile replied.

"We would like to become full fledged Knights. Will your king do the honor of granting us our titles?" Sir Galahad and Tails looked at each other.

"Well, that is up for him to decide, but he is very kind! I am sure he will not mind!

"But we are running out of time! We must go." The soon to be Knights nodded in agreement and rushed out of the door. Galahad was almost outside when he looked to the steps.

 _Percival, if you truly care, you will come to help us... please..._

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! Please fav and review! The next chapter will be a goodie**.


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